Bacon

I was making plans for lunch the other day and I got to thinking about the Cheddar Dream Sandwich that’s in the Cheddar Cheese chapter in Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating. For those of you who are not (yet) familiar with this weekend favorite, it’s a grilled cheese sandwich–made with french toast!

Well, I had the fixings. There was Zingerman’s Bakehouse White on the counter, 2-year Grafton Cheddar in the fridge, some great Harnois Farms local eggs I’d just picked up, and… bacon. Bacon? Well, it’s not in the recipe for the Cheddar Dream Sandwich, but why not add some bacon to the fun and fry the sandwich in bacon fat instead of butter?! Why not indeed.

Cheddar (Bacon!) Dream Sandwich

4 strips bacon (I used Nueske’s applewood-smoked bacon)

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons whole milk or cream

Pinch fine sea salt

4 slices Challah bread (I used Zingerman’s Rustic Italian)

4 ounces Grafton Cheddar, grated

1/4 cup maple syrup

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp.

Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, milk and salt.

When the bacon is done to your liking, remove it from the pan, leaving the bacon fat. If you like your bacon a little on the crispy side, leave it in the pan while you’re frying the bread.

Dip a side of 2 of the bread slices into the batter and place batter-side-down in the skillet. Top each with half of the cheese. Dip one side of the remaining 2 slices in the batter and place atop each sandwich, batter-side-up. When the bottom slices are golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, carefully flip the sandwiches over, using a spatula. Cook until the second side of each sandwich is golden brown, another 2 to 3 minutes, and remove from the skillet to a warm plate. You can put 2 strips of the bacon right inside each sandwich or service it on the side. Top with a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Serves 2

Join Ari in Asheville at Laurey’s this Tuesday the 4th at 7pm. They’ll be cooking out of Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon and there will be books to sign and fun to be had! Call 828-252-1500 to reserve your spot. And hey Michiganders, it’s only a short 10 hour drive or hour plane trip to get to lovely weather!

Here’s a peek at the menu:

We’re getting ready to fry up some bacon in Oxford. And the menu? Check it out!

Frisse Salad, BBB Rillons
Duck Fat Croutons, Poached Egg and Lemon/Chestnut Vinaigrette
Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc

Hangtown Egg Bake
Apalachacola Bay Oysters, Benton’s Smokehouse Bacon
Zingerman’s Pimento Cheese, Benne Seed Crackers
Red Lion Chardonnay

Lex’s Roast Chicken Thighs with Bacon and Spicy Coffee Rub
Dutch Bacon and Gouda Potato Salad
Local Bacon-Seared Winter Greens
Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir

Apple Bacon Cake
Maple Glaze

Bacon’s in the air. Hope to see you there!

A while back, one of our illustrators came over to do a photo shoot for Ari’s guest blog on The Atlantic’s site. Ari was writing about the dish we’d done for Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon, and we needed a photo. “Perfect opportunity to have a yummy lunch!” I’d remarked. I set to simmering, frying, and sizzling. Ryan set to framing and focusing, and captured it perfectly. (You can check out his lovely photo on the blog–I’ll include my amateur shot here.) We dove in. I think I’ll be cooking this one up again soon.

Recipe: Bluefish Fried in Bacon with Blue Grits

This is a simple preparation, it has a great name, it’s pretty eye-catching on the plate and, most importantly, it tastes extremely terrifically good. I made it with the really superb, organic, stone-ground blue grits that we get from Glenn Roberts’ Anson Mills in South Carolina. Given that the old corn varieties ranged in color from white to red to yellow to blue and most everything in between (or even all on one cob–try Glenn’s multi-colored “speckled grits” too!), blue grits really aren’t all that strange.

It’ll mess up your all-blue color scheme, but this is also good with cooked greens on the side. To get back into the blue end of the spectrum you can follow with fresh blueberries and a dollop of fresh whipped cream (no bacon) for dessert!

Serves 2 as a main course. Since the cooking time is the most challenging element of this recipe, feel free to prepare a larger portion than you actually need and save some for later.

For the grits

• 4 cups cold water
• 1 cup Anson Mills blue grits
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

Heat the water in a heavy four-quart stockpot. Start mixing in the grits while the water warms up, stirring regularly–I find it infinitely easier to get lump-free grits this way. Add salt and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat as low as possible. Stir a few more times, cover and cook on low for as long as you can–a good 2 to 4 hours–the long, slow cooking releases the starches and makes the grits really creamy. Once you get them cooking there’s really nothing to do but stir every 15 minutes or so.

For the fish

When the grits are good and creamy and you’re ready to eat, you can start the fish.

• 4 ounces sliced bacon (about 2 to 3 slices)(I like the dry-cured Edwards’ bacon for this one)
• 2 (½ pound) fillets fresh bluefish
• Coarse sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil (optional) Fry the bacon in a heavy-bottomed skillet over moderate heat. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain, leaving the fat in the pan.

Add the fish to the still-hot bacon fat in the skillet, skin side down (I think the skin is the best part!). Cook the fish until the skin is browned, then flip and cook quickly on the other side. If you need more fat, add a glug from your reserves or use a bit of olive oil.

While the fish is cooking, chop the bacon coarsely and set aside.

When the fish is almost done, set the grits into a couple of warm bowls. Place the fish on top, skin side down. Sprinkle the fat over the whole thing and top with salt, pepper, and chopped bacon.

We’re planning fun for December 7th in Oxford Mississippi! Ari will be joining the folks at City Grocery who will be cooking up recipes from Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon for an evening full of bacon lore and more!

Many thanks to those of you who stopped in to say hello at the Beer and Bacon Dinner at Back Forty on Monday night. “At a walk-around tasting and book signing, Ari Weinzweig, chef de cuisine Shanna Pacifico and Brooklyn Brewery paired five local brews with five bacon-centric dishes.” If you’d like a peek at the night’s festivities, check it out here.