One in a great while, a man is given an opportunity to stand against the world with nothing more than a plan, a dream, and fifteen pounds of bacon. This is the story of that man, which is to say me. And one other guy, namely The Godfather, which upon reflection makes this the story of two guys. Cooking bacon. Lots and lots of bacon.
Over the summer, word went out that Lincoln Hall would again be hosting the Chicago Bacon Takedown. The event was one of a handful of competitions for local cooks aimed at showcasing one particular ingredient. The best ingredient, in fact. Sucks to be you, Denver Avocado Takedown.
Considering myself a well-baconed man of the world, I snagged one of the last slots and began experimenting with bacon. I may or may not have made six to eleven terrible mad science jokes. I may or may not have moved a notch or two down on my belt in the process. But in the end, this very dish is what I ended up with, a Frankensteined mixture of sweet bacon recipes I’ve enjoyed cooking and eating in the past. The bread pudding is a classic from my time in the South, and the rest I’ve picked up everywhere from Brennan’s in New Orleans to Time magazine. The whole creative process was helped along greatly in development by discussing this very competition with friends over pints. Multiple pints. Never underestimate the wisdom that can follow “awman, you know what would tasssste AWESOME?!? Huh? Do YA? Imma tell ya…”
It took about two days to get everything in place for 250 servings of glorious bayou-style bread pudding. The time and mess once or twice caused my wife to approach, white knuckles gripping a knife and an alarming look in her eyes, much like Michael Douglas in the movie Falling Down. As such, I have scaled down the recipe to sane-person size. It may seem epic in length, but it’s just a series of easy steps – a lot of which you can do well beforehand.
The event itself was amazing – check out TheTakedowns.com – they do an amazing job of coordinating event that’s fun to compete in and packed with appreciative eaters from all over the city. In the end, the Godfather and I won Best Sweet Bacon Recipe from a panel of food judges and writerly-types. It was on that note that I retired us from competitive cooking … until the right bacon opportunity comes along once again.
One thing: this is in no way the slightest bit good for you. Which is why I think you’ll enjoy the hell out of it.
The Setup
Bread Pudding
Time to load up on the butter, sugar, and cream, kids. The key to this dish is forgetting any developments in our understanding of nutrition from the previous half-century.
There’s also a fair bit of maple syrup. I know it’s not cheap, but don’t go for the fake stuff. It doesn’t have the same texture, flavor, or viscosity. This is no place for Mrs. Butterworth. That lady can’t hang.
- 12 oz French bread (or challah, if you can get it), cut into 1″ cubes and left out overnight
- 4 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp reserved bacon fat
- 3/4 c sugar, plus 2 tbsp, separated
- 1/4 lb butter, melted
- 2 1/2 milk, scalded and cooled
- 2 1/2 cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 c raisins
- Bourbon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Candied Bacon
1 lb bacon, cut into thirds
2 c dark brown sugar, dried
2 tbsp mustard powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
Maple syrup
Maple Bacon Cream Sauce
1/2 lb bacon, cooked until very crisp
1/2 lb butter
1/2 lb dark brown sugar
2 c maple syrup
2 c cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
French Quarter Whiskey Sauce
3 egg yolks
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c milk
1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 oz water
1 1/2 oz bourbon (or brandy)
Cooking
You can make the sauces well ahead of time, and you’ll probably want to, given everything else you’re doing.
Maple Bacon Cream Sauce.
1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan until lightly browned.
2. Whisk in the brown sugar, syrup, and cream. Bring briefly to a boil and remove from the heat.
3. Stir in the vanilla and bacon.
4. With a blender or immersion blender, process the sauce until smooth.
5. Strain the sauce and reserve the strained bacon pieces for garnish.
French Quarter Whiskey Sauce
1. In a medium saucepan, lightly beat the egg yolks. Whisk in the sugar, vanilla and milk.
2. Cook over low heat until the mixture beings to bubble.
3. Stir in the cornstarch/water slurry, whisk well, and cook until the sauce thickens.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the bourbon.
Candied Bacon
1. Place dried brown sugar, mustard, and paprika in a bowl or food processor and blend until thoroughly mixed. Preheat oven to 370.
2. Dry bacon slices on paper towels and dip into the sugar mixture on both sides. Place on a baking rack over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.’
3. Bake 15 minutes, until the edges of the bacon begin to caramelize.
4. Remove pan from oven, brush bacon with maple syrup, and return to the oven.
5. Bake another 15 minutes, until bacon is a deep, rich brown. Remove and let cool.
Bread Pudding
1. Add 2 tbsp sugar to the melted butter. Toss with the bread in a large bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Whisk the eggs and yolk in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the sugar. When sugar has been incorporated, add cream, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and that magical bacon fat.
3. Grease a 9×13 baking pan (like a Pyrex dish) and preheat the oven to 350.
4. Place the raisins in a small pan and add enough bourbon to cover. Cook over medium until bourbon begins to boil. Carefully (!!!) light the fumes and let burn out. Cook until liquid is reduced, then remove raisins and let cool.
5. Place 3/4 of the buttered bread into the dish and cover with the egg/milk mixture. Let sit for another five minutes. Press the remainder of the bread onto the top, along with the bourbon-y raisins.
6. Bake 45-55 minutes uncovered, until the top is golden brown and the middle still jiggles.
Putting it Together
Place a couple of slices of the candied bacon in a bowl, off to the side. Top with a scoop or two of the hot bread pudding. Add the Maple Bacon or the Whiskey sauce, and top with those crispy, sugared bacon pieces you saved from making the cream sauce. You may temporarily have difficulty with stairs, but that’s to be expected.