Joan Emerson's Bacon Jam
Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds
lean, thick-sliced bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces [about one-inch]
3 large sweet
onions, diced [use Vidalia onions if they are in season]
2 leeks, diced
4 large garlic
cloves, crushed
3/4 cup dark
brown sugar, packed
freshly ground
black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon
cayenne pepper [optional]
1/4 -1/2
teaspoon liquid smoke [optional]
1 cup
freshly-brewed coffee
1/3 cup
balsamic vinegar
Cook the diced bacon
over medium heat, stirring as needed, until the bacon just begins to
turn crispy, about fifteen minutes. Remove from pan.
Cook the onions,
leeks, and garlic in the bacon grease, stirring as needed, until they
soften, about five minutes.
Add the brown sugar;
return the cooked bacon to the pan; season with pepper, cayenne
pepper, liquid smoke.
Add the coffee,
balsamic vinegar, and half a cup of hot water. Bring to a boil.
Cook over low heat
for about one hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add a small
amount of water if mixture becomes too dry as it cooks.
When mixture is
thick and onions are caramelized, remove from heat.
Cool slightly; transfer to food processor. Pulse a time or two to
obtain a thick, chunky consistency, like a chutney or a tapenade.
Refrigerate the jam.
This recipe will
make approximately four cups of bacon jam
* * * * * * * * *
The above recipe is
the one I regularly use, but the recipe can be adapted to suit
individual tastes.
Substitute
shallots for the leeks OR substitute an onion for the leeks
Vary the amount
of garlic to taste
Adjust amount
of red pepper, liquid smoke to taste; omit the liquid smoke if you
prefer
Substitute
bourbon for the coffee, using 1/2 cup bourbon and 1/2 cup water
* * * * * * * * *
The uses for bacon
jam are as varied as your imagination:
Warm some jam
in the microwave; spread on buttered toast or English muffins
Top burgers
with jam
Add jam to
grilled cheese
Add a scoop of
jam to scrambled eggs
Mix jam with
softened cream cheese to make a dip, serve with crackers
Add jam to a
bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich
Top a baked
potato
Thanks, Joan! Who's up for trying this with me?
I'm in.
ReplyDeleteJust thinking, seeing the photo of that luscious sandwich, that having bacon jam in the fridge might change up potential mealtimes, even when there isn't any actual bacon in the house. Because with only the two of us here, we try to limit our exposure to the stuff.
Thanks, Joan!
oh Joan, you've left us drooling for bacon jam on Sunday morning...this looks amazing and Karen is right, perfect to have on hand just for a taste of forbidden bacon!
ReplyDeletethanks Joan and Julia!
I'm a big proponent of the "bacon goes with anything," but I think this might be a bridge too far.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm in love. Thanks, Joan and Julia!
ReplyDeleteMy sister will try this. Four cups of jam. Four sisters. Perfect!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteoh my lordamercy.
thank you, Joan!!!
Joan! Did you hear me calling you in yesterday's blog? Oh my goodness, I am swooning, absolutely spooning. I really want some. Could someone make some and send it to me please?
ReplyDeleteThe dictating system changed the second swooning to spooning. But I'm leaving it!
ReplyDeleteYum!
I just received a gift, by the way, of lemon marmalade. I used it to make lemon marmalade garlic sauce for grilled swordfish. And it was fabulous.
ReplyDeleteHank, I bet it was amazing. What a great idea.
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone for your kind comments; I hope you all enjoy the recipe and the jam!
ReplyDeleteMary, despite the temptation to put bacon in everything, we're pretty good about not overdoing it. Having the jam on hand is great for adding just a small amount when I'm making something and want just a hint of bacon.
I've noticed that bacon jam is slowly making its way into restaurants . . . TGI Friday's offers it as a condiment on one of its burgers. And, although we like it on burgers [or most anything else], I find we most often use it in cooking.
Hank, I used to make lemon marmalade when we lived in California and had Meyer lemon trees in our back yard. Your lemon marmalade garlic sauce sounds delicious.
Oooo. Since becoming a vegetarian, there are a few things I miss. Scallops swimming in garlic butter. Bacon sandwiches. Crispy bacon with all the grease oozing into the soft white bread (which I never eat either). I may have to put on a disguise and go buy some bacon.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty well situated in the "I don't cook anymore" phase of life; I did, however, send this recipe to my granddaughter and my daughter☺️
ReplyDeleteThis is almost a ridiculous question, but how long does this keep in the refrigerator. (Yes, yes, assuming it isn't eaten immediately)
ReplyDeleteJoan, I am SO making this!
ReplyDeleteWHEN I FINISH THE BOOK.
And, Hank, will you give us your lemon marmalade garlic sauce recipe? Yum.
Libby,
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry; I should have thought to tell you that!
The bacon jam will keep, refrigerated, for three weeks or so [if it lasts that long]. It also freezes very well, but, unlike fruit jams, home canning is not a safe option for bacon jam.
When I make a batch, I usually keep half in the refrigerator and freeze half [or give the other half away].
I am going to have to try this Joan. I can see it spread on lightly toasted bread with lovely sliced tomatoes. A new version of the BLT.
ReplyDeletePat, if you warm the bacon jam in the microwave for about a minute, it will spread easily without tearing the bread.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow, Joan! You had me at bacon grease! I was thinking that the bacon jam sounding interesting, and then you showed that beautiful sandwich picture and listed other ideas for using the jam, and I realized what a genius idea bacon jam really is.
ReplyDeleteKathy, I have no idea what imaginative mind came up with the idea for bacon jam, but it was definitely a genius moment.
ReplyDeleteAnd Julia gets the credit for finding the pictures . . . .
There's no recipe, since I made it up on the spot. But--I sautéed minced garlic in Meyer lemon olive oil, then added a bit of flour to thicken, stir stir stir quickly until the paste forms, then deglazed with white wine. When It was halfway thickened, I added some glops of the lemon marmalade, making sure to include the chunks of lemon. Salt and pepper. It was beautifully thick, but a tiny bit too sweetish, so more pepper. Then a bit of cream to soften the feel. And fabulous!
ReplyDeleteWould you have added fresh dill? I might have, but I didn't have any. xoxo
Turkey, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato and bacon jam on toast. "The Joan"!
ReplyDeleteI think you may have hit on it with the "Joan" sandwich, Hank. Next month we'll be getting beautiful fresh tomatoes from our organic farmers. Usually I just make Miracle Whip and tomato open faced sandwiches, but this summer, I'm going to go with the "Joan"!
ReplyDeleteOh, wow, my very own sandwich . . . thank you!
ReplyDeleteThat does look good. I'd be more skeptical, but Cyrano's already introduced me to chocolate-covered bacon.
ReplyDeleteI freeze bacon spread out so I can just take a half-slice at a time (sin moderately), but this appeals as an alternative.
Thanks!
I wrote a blog for today and included one of my dad's stories, about bees, so now wanting honey.
https://storytellermary.wordpress.com/2016/06/19/fathers-day-lessons-and-love/
storytellermary,
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet story. Memories are such special things . . . thanks for sharing.
If I wasn't in book jail I would make this tonight. THANK YOU for sharing this recipe. Wowsa.
ReplyDeleteHurray for "the Joan!" Cannot wait.
ReplyDeleteAnd MAry, you are a treasure. xoxo
This looks great, Joan!
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather Jean used to make maple-bacon crêpes whenever I visited. He'd cook the bacon then pour the batter over it to cook. Maple syrup all over.
That sounds delicious, Reine.
ReplyDeleteWhen the girls were small, we used to make cornmeal waffles [a recipe out of the Joy of Cooking] with bacon cooked right into the waffle . . . served with maple syrup over the waffles, of course.
I left out the filling: Cottage cheese with chopped onion. I probably forgot it, because I don't know anyone else who does that to their crêpes. One time my mother and I went to a Pancake House for Saturday breakfast and ordered crêpes. We were very disappointed to find the filling was sour cream. Later someone told my mother that her father used cottage cheese because sour cream cost too much even if they could find it during the Great Depression. We had a good laugh but continued the cottage cheese tradition.
ReplyDeleteThat was the longest run-on sentence I've seen in a long time. And I'm the one who wrote it. : )
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of filling crepes with sour cream, Reine. We always fill them with ricotta cheese and serve sour cream on the side. I guess there are about as many traditions for crepes as there are people who make them.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Julia, for the opportunity to share bacon jam with all the wonderful Jungle Red bloggers. Thank you, everyone, for your comments . . . happy jam-making!
ReplyDelete