Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the bacon. Cover and cook for approximately 25 minutes. Check on the bacon with some frequency, giving it a stir each time.Pump Up the Jam, with Bacon!
We used this on a savory pancake (page 48), but it can also be put out on a charcuterie with cheeses and meats along with your morning eggs, or just take a spoon to the jar.
Ingredients
1½ lbs thick cut bacon cut into 1-inch pieces (we like applewood but any good quality bacon will do)
2 large sweet onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 Mission figs, chopped (optional)
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup honey
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp black pepper
6 Tbsp Drambuie (or bourbon—though we liked the sweet notes of Drambuie)
⅛ tsp salt
Directions
Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the bacon. Cover and cook for approximately 25 minutes. Check on the bacon with some frequency, giving it a stir each time.
Once the bacon begins to crisp, remove the cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn the heat off once the bacon is fully crisp. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel–lined plate. Let the fat in the Dutch oven cool for a few minutes and then—hear us out—save the stuff in a container for future cooking.
Leave all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the Dutch oven. Turn the heat back on (again, medium) and add the onions and garlic, scraping up any delicious bacon bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until soft. Once it is soft, add the figs if you so choose (highly recommended).
Drop the heat to medium low and add the brown sugar, cider vinegar, honey, ginger, pepper, and Drambuie. Cook for 10 minutes, just enough time for the mixture to start to get jammy.
Adjust the heat to medium for 5 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the jam from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Lower heat back down to medium low and add the bacon. Cook for 20 minutes, covered. Stir occasionally. Remove lid and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the salt.
Remove from heat and let it cool slightly. Add the mixture to the food processor and chop to desired texture. We like it finely chopped as it looks more refined. Well, as refined as bacon jam can be.
This recipe comes from Gloria Fortunato at the Wild Rosemary Bistro in Pittsburgh. Gloria is not only a fantastic chef but also a dear friend. While we were making pasta, Gloria made it clear to us that we should never be worried that the pasta dough would not come out right—you can always adjust as you go. Be confident, and it will turn out the way you want it to. Thanks, Gloria!
Ingredients
3 cups pasta flour or “OO” flour
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Warm water
Directions
Using a food processor with the metal blade, add the flour into the container along with the salt. Cover and turn the machine on, adding one egg at a time followed by the olive oil. We find it helpful to crack the eggs before starting the process so that you can capture any loose shells.
If the dough does not appear to be coming together, make adjustments. If too dry, add some warm water. If too wet, add a sprinkle of flour. At this point, you can also add some fresh herbs like flat-leaf parsley.
Once the dough comes together into a ball-like shape, turn the machine off and remove the dough onto a floured surface. Make a nice round ball, cut into 3 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap (tightly, don’t let any air get to your masterpiece), and place in the refrigerator.
Once chilled, use a pasta machine or, if you are ambitious, hand roll to the desired pasta shape. If using a machine, you may have to run the dough through several times to achieve the right consistency.
This recipe comes from Tricia’s mother, Kathy. She has used this recipe for decades. This is not a delicate crust and is perfect for heavier recipes. Foolproof and easy to create—our favorite! This recipe will yield four rounds of dough. If you are making a pie with a lid, you will only be using two rounds of dough.
Ingredients
1 lb lard
1 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
2 tsp baking powder
6 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
Place lard in a large bowl, slightly softened. Add the salt to the top of the lard, followed by the boiling water. Mix until the lard is broken up.
Next, add the dry ingredients over the lard and, using your hands, gently incorporate all the ingredients until it forms the dough. Break the dough into 4 pieces, firmly wrap with plastic wrap, and place into refrigerator until cooled, but not cold.
If you are making this in advance and the dough is cold, remove from the refrigerator until it starts to soften. Roll out dough on a floured surface.
This is a great way to use fresh herbs or even to preserve your herbs at the end of the summer. You can use this cooking process with any herb, but you may want to consider using different oils or a combination of oils (for example, walnut and olive oil).
Ingredients
2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley, stems off (as best as you can before you go crazy)
1 cup olive oil
Salt
Directions
Bring about 2 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the fresh parsley for 15–20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, immediately remove the blanched herbs and place them in a bowl of ice water. This will stop the cooking process. Once the parsley has cooled completely, remove the herb from the water and wring out the water using paper towels.
Add the parsley and oil to a food processor for about 30 seconds or so. Drain the oil through a fine sieve and now you have beautifully colored and flavored oil.
Store the oil in a refrigerator for 2 weeks. We chose to pour it into a silicone ice tray; ours was in the shape of hearts. Freeze the oil and then pop them out of the tray into a freezer bag. If they are not coming out easily from the tray, just heat slightly with hot water at the bottom of the mold. This is a perfect way to add oil to salads, pasta, or really anything else.
Using stones to cook bread goes back to the beginning of time. The Scottish made bread cooked on a bannock stone. This treasured family stone was passed down from generation to generation. The English and Irish used a piece of sandstone, called a girdle, to make bread from the fifth to fifteenth century. The “bread” was a staple food for many who hailed from the British Empire. We used a pan—but please don’t call it pan bread.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp lard, plus extra for the pan (we do not recommend using vegetable shortening)
2 Tbsp mead (or another sweet white wine)
2 large eggs
Herbs (to season; optional)
Directions
Step one, and most important: remove any rings from your fingers. You will thank us later. In a large bowl, sift the flour and salt. Using your hands, mix the lard into the flour and salt until the combination resembles sand.
Beat the mead and eggs together in a separate bowl. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients. Add a bit extra mead or cold water if the mixture is dry. This is the time you can add your herbs, if you so choose. We recommend finely cutting up a mixture of sage, thyme, and rosemary.
Mix the ingredients well and then roll out the dough on a floured surface until thin. Using a cutter (a biscuit cutter works wonderfully), cut the dough into circles. Heat a large, heavy frying pan with lard. Add the crackers to the pan, working in batches. If the pan is warm enough, you will only need to turn them once. This happens quickly, especially if the rounds are thin, so stay alert.
Remove from pan and add a generous amount of sea salt or serve plain. This is best served warm and bite-sized.