bacon – My Whisk and I

Potato Profiteroles

December 29, 2024December 29, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g potato, peeled and chopped
5 sprigs of rosemary and thyme
1 clove of garlic
125g + 125g smoked bacon
1 wheel camembert cheese
125ml milk
60ml butter
5ml salt
125ml flour
1 egg
3 egg yolks

Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the potato, rosemary, thyme, garlic and enough salted water to cover it. Cook until the potatoes are very soft.
Drain and remove the herbs and garlic.
Pass the potato through a ricer or sieve for a smooth texture and set aside.
Fry 125g of the bacon until crispy and chop into very small pieces. Set aside.
Cut the camembert in half.
Cut one halve into 1cm slices.
Remove the rind from the other halve and chop it into pieces. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
Add the milk, butter and salt to a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add the flour and stir vigorously with a spatula until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Remove from the heat.
Add half of the mashed potato, the rindless, chopped camembert, chopped bacon and the whole egg. Stir/beat until very well incorporated.
Add the remaining potato and egg yolks and beat by hand until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle.
Pipe 2cm rounds onto the prepared baking sheets.
Cut the remaining bacon into 1cm pieces. Top the profiteroles with a slice of bacon or camembert.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Serve warm.

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Bacon and Asparagus Potato Salad

November 2, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This salad may be served warm or at room temperature.

Dressing:
half a red onion, finely diced
15ml red wine vinegar
15ml dijon mustard
15ml cold water
45ml olive oil

1kg baby potatoes
200g smoked bacon, chopped into pieces
one small bunch of green asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2cm lengths
1 red onion, sliced
a handful of soft herbs (basil, parsley, sage, chives)

For the dressing:
Add the diced onion, vinegar, mustard and water to a small bowl and mix together.
Gradually add the olive oil, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens.
Taste the dressing and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the potatoes until soft. Drain the water and place in a large mixing bowl.
Cook the bacon in a pan until crispy and then add the asparagus pieces.
Stir-fry on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the bacon, asparagus and pan juices over the potato and mix through.
Add the sliced onion and herbs.
Pour the dressing over while the salad is still warm and mix to serve.

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Easy Potato and Bacon Pie

March 2, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1,5kg potato, peeled and diced
2 onions, sliced
250g bacon, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
250ml grated cheddar cheese
250ml cream
125ml chicken stock
5ml salt
5ml smoked paprika
1 x 400g roll puff pastry
egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml water whisked together

Preheat your oven to 200℃.

Place the diced potato in a large saucepan with water and cook until just soft. Drain and set aside.
Add some vegetable oil to a pan set over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the bacon and cook until the onion is soft and the bacon is cooked.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Take from the heat and set aside to cool.
Add the cheese to a large mixing bowl.
Pour in the cream and stock and add the salt, paprika and bacon and onion mix.
Stir to mix and spoon into a 28cm x 20cm ovenproof dish.
Lay the pastry flat on a work surface and cut shapes from it with a biscuit cutter.
Place the pastry pieces side-by-side on the pie filling and brush with the egg wash.
Bake in the oven for 25minutes or until golden.
Serve the potato pie straight from the oven.

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Bacon-Zucchini Fritters

February 15, 2024February 14, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

300 – 350g zucchini
15ml salt
375ml grated cheddar cheese
250ml chopped bacon, uncooked
6 eggs, whisked together
375ml flour
7,5ml baking powder
vegetable oil, for frying

Wash the zucchini under running water and dry them.
Grate into a bowl, sprinkle over the salt and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Place the zucchini in a clean tea towel and twist and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can.
Add the dry zucchini to a mixing bowl.
Fry the bacon bits until cooked and crispy, drain and add it to the zucchini.
Add the cheese and eggs and stir everything together.
Now add the flour and baking powder and stir to combine.
The batter should be thick enough so that it won’t spread in the pan – if it is too runny, add some more flour and if it is too stiff, add a few drops of water.
Place a frying pan over medium heat and add about 15ml of vegetable oil. Wait for the pan and oil to heat up.
Place about 30ml of batter into the pan and press down on it with the back of a spoon so that it is more or less even. You should get 3-4 fritters in an average frying pan – do not overcrowd them!
Fry the fritter for 3 minutes on the one side, flip it over and fry for another 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Keep going until there is no batter left.
Serve the bacon-zucchini fritters warm as a snack or a side, or pack them at room temperature for a picnic or lunchbox.

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Bacon Flapjacks

October 15, 2023September 14, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g bacon
1 egg
62ml sugar
62ml + 62ml milk
15ml vegetable oil
250ml flour
10ml baking powder
1ml salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cut another piece of baking paper that is slightly larger than your baking tray and keep aside.
Lay the bacon flat on the prepared tray.
Place the extra paper on top of the bacon and another baking tray on top of the paper.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Cool the bacon on a cooling rack and pat it dry with paper towel to remove excess fattiness.
Add the egg and sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk together by hand.
Add 62ml milk and the vegetable oil and whisk until amalgamated.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the mixture and stir to combine.
Drizzle in the last 62ml milk while mixing, to form a thick, smooth batter.
Place a large frying pan on medium-high heat.
Pour in a splash of vegetable oil and wait for it to warm up.
Dip a bacon rasher into the batter and then immediately into the pan.
Fry for 3 minutes per side or until cooked and golden.
Serve the bacon flapjacks with maple syrup or honey.

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Hasselback Chicken

August 10, 2023July 31, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
200g ementhal cheese, sliced into 20 slices
250g smoked bacon, cut into 20 strips
12 bay leaves
125ml cream
1 egg

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Place the chicken on a chopping board and season with salt.
Cut 5 slits at a slight angle into each chicken breast, making sure not to cut all the way through.
Place a slice of cheese into each slit.
Now insert a pice of bacon into each slit.
Randomly insert 3 bay leaves per breast.
Place the stuffed chicken in a casserole dish and grind over some black pepper.
Add the cream and the egg to a jug and whisk together.
Pour the mixture over the chicken and bake for 35 minutes.
Serve warm.

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Saucy Chicken

April 3, 2023April 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

200g bacon, diced
4 chicken breasts, skin removed
125ml flour
60ml panko breadcrumbs
5ml salt
60ml vegetable oil
60ml butter, cubed
60ml flour
625ml chicken stock
80ml milk
10ml Worcestershire sauce
5ml onion powder
5ml dried tarragon
2,5ml salt

Place a heavy-bottom saucepan on medium heat.
Add the bacon and cook until crispy and browned. Remove from the pan.
Place the chicken breasts on a flat surface and halve them horizontally so that you have 8 thin chicken portions.
Mix the flour, breadcrumbs and salt together in a shallow dish.
Coat the chicken generously with the flour mixture.
Pour the vegetable oil into the saucepan and allow it to warm up.
Fry the breasts for 3minutes per side, remove from the saucepan and set aside.
Remove the oil from the saucepan and wipe it clean with paper towel.
Now add the butter and allow to melt over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir around until it forms a paste. Cook for one minute while stirring.
Gradually pour in the chicken stock and milk and whisk continuously.
Now add the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and tarragon.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chicken back into the sauce.
Sprinkle over the bacon and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes.
Serve the chicken and the sauce on creamy mashed potatoes.

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Oven Pumpkin Risotto

March 29, 2023March 28, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This oven risotto is one of the very best dinners you will make. It is low effort and easy cooking with delicious taste rewards. NB: do not substitute the pumpkin with butternut!!!

30ml vegetable oil
30ml butter
150g smoked bacon, diced
1 large onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
250ml arborio rice
625ml chicken stock
60g butter, diced
500g pumpkin, peeled and diced (1cm x 1cm)
125ml grated parmesan cheese
15ml parsley, chopped

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Place an ovenproof saucepan on medium-high heat, add the oil and butter and add the bacon.
Fry until cooked and starting to turn crispy.
Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the fat.
Add the onion to the saucepan and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
Add the rice, stock, 60g butter, pumpkin and cooked bacon to the saucepan and stir together.
Cover with a lid/aluminium foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the rice is soft.
Remove from the oven and stir in the parmesan.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.|Sprinkle over the parsley and serve.

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Green Bacon Salad

February 16, 2023February 15, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250g smoked bacon
125ml yoghurt
125ml mayonnaise
a squeeze of lemon juice
45ml olive oil
80ml milk
100g + 100g feta cheese
3 cos lettuce (or other crunchy lettuce)
125g sugar snaps
250ml frozen peas, thawed
1 avocado pear, sliced

Dice the bacon and cook until done and slightly crispy on the edges. Set aside to cool.
Add the yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, milk and 100g of feta cheese to a blender and blitz on high speed until smooth. Set aside.
Arrange the lettuce on a serving plate.
Scatter over the sugar snaps, peas, avocado pear and bacon.
Spoon/drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Crumb the remaining 100g feta on top, add a few grindings of black pepper and serve.

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Peach and Bacon Toastie

August 30, 2022August 29, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This makes a snack for 1 person.

3 slices bread, I prefer ciabatta
1 packet streaky bacon
2 ripe peaches
45ml tahini/sesame paste, thinned down with a few drops of olive oil

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Place the sliced bread on a baking sheet and give it a light drizzle of olive oil.
Lay the bacon strips on another baking tray.
Place both trays in the oven until (1) the bread is toasted and (2) the bacon is done.
Remove the pip from the peaches and cut each half into slices. Set aside.
Mix the tahini with a few drops of olive oil so that it is thinned down and can be drizzled.
Place a slice of toast on a plate and drizzle with the tahini.
Arrange a layer of bacon on each slice and top that with a few slices of the peach.
Sit somewhere peaceful and enjoy every single bite!