Wilted Spinach and Bacon Salad

Wilted spinach with bacon dressing is a classic salad preparation for everybody’s favorite smoked pork product. The thing is, however, as much as I love bacon, bacon fat is, well, not healthy, considering that it’s 50 percent saturated fat. When using a really good bacon, is it really necessary to also use bacon grease in this dish? Could the spinach wilt another way?

These are the questions I sought to answer with this recipe. Instead of using hot fat to wilt the spinach leaves, I used other hot ingredients: sautéed onion, toasted pecans and the bacon itself. That way, I could make a healthier dressing with extra virgin olive oil.

The warm ingredients wilted the spinach nicely. Not so much that it resembled cooked spinach, but just enough to give it a softer texture. The bacon bits I added first didn’t really do much, but tossing in the hot onions and pecans right out of the pan did the trick. In addition to the traditional hard-cooked egg, I added celery for crunch and fresh mint, an idea I got from the Canlis Salad, which also has bacon.

Wilted Spinach and Bacon Salad

Makes 2 salads

2 eggs
6 oz spinach
1/4 lb bacon, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup pecan halves
1 tbsp. maple syrup
2 celery ribs, cut on a sharp angle
2-3 tbsp. fresh mint, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. smoked extra virgin olive oil (may use regular extra virgin olive oil)
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Fresh-ground black pepper
Grated parmigiano-reggiano

1. Place eggs in a saucepan and fill with enough cold water to cover the eggs by one inch. Heat over medium-high heat until the water boils. Remove from heat, cover and allow to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes. Remove eggs from hot water and place in ice water for about 5 minutes. Crack eggs all over and then roll on a flat surface. Peel eggs and discard shell. Slice eggs into quarters.

2. Wash and dry spinach and place in a large bowl. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until it is browned and crispy. Drain bacon on paper towels and add to bowl and toss with spinach while still hot. Pour off most of the bacon fat, leaving a couple teaspoons. Add the red onion and sauté until lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add to bowl and toss with spinach and bacon while hot.

3. Heat a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Add pecans and toast until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add maple syrup, turn off the heat, and stir until nuts are evenly coated. Add hot nuts to bowl and toss with spinach, bacon and onions. After the salad has cooled a bit, add the celery and mint.

4. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and pepper. Add to salad and toss to combine. Serve topped with a little sprinkle of parmigiano-reggiano.

Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon and Chives

Finally started to warm up in D.C. this week, but we're still not out of winter, so it could get cold again. When the wind is howling outside, this sweet potato soup hits the spot and it's quite simple to make. Serve it with a nice crusty bread to run around the bowl when you're done (or dip in the soup before then).

Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon and Chives
Adapted from a recipe by Cook's Country

6 bacon slices (about ½ lb.), cut into ¼-inch slices
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp. packed light brown sugar
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise and sliced thin (between 1/8 and ¼ inch)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
 2 tbsp. snipped chives
Sour cream

1. Heat a dutch oven or other soup pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set on a plate covered with paper towels. Drain off all but 1 tbsp. of bacon grease from the pot.

2. Add onion, brown sugar, salt and pepper to pot and cook until onion is softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sweet potatoes, chicken broth and water, increase heat to medium-high to bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until sweet potatoes are softened. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth (alternatively, transfer the soup in batches to a food processor or blender to puree). Serve in bowls topped with crisped bacon, snipped chives and a dollop of sour cream.

The Feed: March 13, 2013

The Feed is my weekly round up of interesting food-related stories from newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites.

Lucky Peach: “The End of the World as We Know It,” An Interview with Michael Pollan by Rachel Khong. Just about a month before the release of his new book, Cooked, Pollan drops in on the apocalypse-themed issue of Lucky Peach (#6) to talk about the unsustainable course of our industrial food system. It’s classic Pollan, an interesting read that, among other things, takes an amusing swipe at molecular gastronomy.

The Hidden List: “Scouts Honor.” It’s Girl Scout cookie season and The Hidden List has a cool pie chart, er cookie chart I suppose, showing which varieties of cookies are the most popular as represented by segments of the relevant cookies. I’ve already eaten my box of Samoas but have held off opening my Do-Si-Dos.

Washington Post: “Can Orgeat Become Essential?” by Jason Wilson. I’ve heard of orgeat, but until reading Wilson’s nicely researched article about the almond, rose water and orange blossom cocktail syrup (complete with a recipe), I couldn’t have told you a thing about it. In particular, he discusses the syrup’s role in the Japanese Cocktail as instrumental in transforming cocktails from their basic early 19th century form to their more “evolved” state today. He also mentions David Wondrich’s book, Imbibe, which I’m (slowly) reading at present.

New York Times: “He Won’t Upstage His Food,” by Jeff Gordinier. Gordinier profiles Chef Andrew Carmellini, set to soon open Lafayette, a new French restaurant in NoHo just a block from his other recent venture I visited last year, The Library at the Public. Not on the menu: sous vide cooking.

The Daily Mail: “How sushi can make you FAT: It will shock skinny celebs who swear by it, but sushi can have more calories than a Big Mac and fries,” by Juliette Kellow. Although it may seem like a healthy fish lunch, Kellow dissects how a typical sushi meal is actually loaded with processed carbs, sugar, salt and really very little fish. I love Kellow’s comment that picking up sushi for lunch is as common as having a cheese and pickle sandwich. How very British.

Forbes: “7 Benefits Of Quinoa: The Supergrain Of The Future,” by Julie Wilcox. After the alarm raised earlier this year about the impact of the global demand for quinoa, it’s nice to be reminded why it’s so popular in the first place: it’s really good for you. Like incredibly good.

Mushroom-Bacon Risotto

Besides beans, another winning partner for bacon is mushrooms; their earthiness pairs nicely with bacon’s smoky saltiness. I’m offering two recipes today that bring this pair into focus, the Risotto below and a pasta (Trofie with Bacon and Mushrooms). This hearty risotto is a perfect for these days of waning winter.

Mushroom-Bacon Risotto

3/4 oz. package of dried chanterelle mushrooms, reconstituted according to package directions and patted dry with broth kept (about 1 cup of liquid)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 lb. thick-cut bacon, cut into strips no wider than 1/4 inch (for this dish, I used black forest bacon from Whole Foods)
1/2 large sweet onion (or 1 small), diced
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
8 oz. shiitake mushroom, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 3/4 cup arborio rice
3/4 cup dry vermouth (I used a combination of vermouth and Lillet Blanc, since my vermouth bottle was almost empty)
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Combine the mushroom broth from reconstituting the chanterelles with the chicken broth and warm in a saucepan over low heat.

2. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towel-lined plates. Remove bacon fat leaving 1 tbsp.

3. Add onion to dutch oven and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they give up their liquid and reduce in size, about 10-12 minutes (may take longer, depending on moisture--pan should be mostly dry when done). Season with salt. Add butter and rice and cook until rice turns translucent, about 3 minutes.

4. Add vermouth and cook until absorbed, stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cups of broth and cook, stirring infrequently until liquid is absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of broth and continue cooking, stirring frequently and adding 1/2 cup of broth after each previous addition is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes total. Taste rice for doneness (should be “toothy” like al dente pasta). Stir in cooked bacon and parmesan. Season to taste with fresh-ground black pepper. Serve rice in bowls topped with fresh parsley.

Smoky Trofie with Bacon and Mushrooms

Last time I was in Eataly, Mario Batali's New York food emporium, I picked up a lovely package of trofie pasta. Trofie is a small spiral-shaped pasta, about as long as penne but thinner. It's not very common in grocery stores, which is a shame, since it's a great shape for picking up little bits of sauce. Like the risotto, this dish also combines bacon and mushrooms, finished with smoked olive oil for additional smoky flavor.

Smoky Trofie with Bacon and Mushrooms

1 lb. dried trofie pasta
1/4 lb. black forest bacon
1 tsp. unsalted butter
1/2 lb. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thinly
2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup dry vermouth
2-3 oz. blue cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 tbsp. smoked olive oil
Grated parmigiano-reggiano

1. Cook trofie according to package directions for al dente in a large pot of salted water. Drain and set aside in pot with the lid on to keep warm.

2. Brown bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. When crisp, remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Drain off the bacon fat (you can leave a little in the skillet, I wouldn't suggest wiping it clean). Add the unsalted butter and the mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms until they give off their liquid and are browned, about 8 minutes. Add rosemary and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Good a couple minutes until garlic is softened and fragrant but not brown. Add vermouth to deglaze pan, stirring to scrape up bits from the bottom. Turn off the heat. Pour bacon-mushroom sauce into the pot with the pasta. Add the blue cheese and smoked olive oil and stir to combine. Serve pasta topped with grated parmesan cheese.

Smoky Pinto Bean, Red Wine and Bacon Soup

About the only time you find bacon by itself is at breakfast with eggs. The rest of the time, it’s used to enhance other ingredients with its meaty, smoky goodness. There are a lot of foods that bacon pairs well with, particularly ingredients that have complimentary flavors. Bacon also works well with foods that have a fairly neutral flavor, like beans. Combine the earthiness of beans with the salty, smoky flavor of bacon, and you’re going to have a winner.

Bacon from Harvey's Market, Union Market in D.C.

Dry pinto beans

New York Times Dining Section recipe columnist Melissa Clark hit on just that special combination with her recent recipe for Red Wine Pinto Beans with Smoky Bacon. Although her intention was make a vegetarian beans and wine dish, she later made it with bacon, which she said she liked even better. This is the dish that used the incredible bacon I got from Harvey’s Market in Union Market. Its intense smokiness is what made this a truly stunning bean stew.

Mirepoix, bacon and fresh rosemary

I was pretty faithful to Clark’s recipe, although one thing I did differently was instead of using fresh water to cook the beans, I reserved the water the beans were soaked in (or rather cooked in, since I forgot about soaking them overnight—see below for directions on how to deal with that oversight). I figure why dump out all that good bean flavor when I need water anyway to complete the dish.

Adding the reduced red wine

This was very tasty the night I made it, possibly even better when we had it as leftovers a few days later. This ranks up there with the Jacques Pepin Beef Stew with Red Wine Sauce as among the very best things I’ve cooked this year.

Beans and bacon simmering with red wine added

Red Wine Pinto Beans with Smoky Bacon
Adapted (just slightly) from A Good Appetite recipe by Melissa Clark, New York Times

1 pound dried pinto beans
1/2 pound smoky bacon, diced
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large sprigs rosemary
Salt, to taste (Clark’s recipe calls for 1 tbsp. coarse kosher salt)
2 cups dry red wine (such as pinot noir)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving (optional)
Coarsely grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)
Coarsely ground black pepper or red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

1. Rinse pinto beans and soak them overnight or quick cook them: place beans in a large pot with enough water to cover by 3 or 4 inches (about 2 quarts of water). Bring to boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat to simmer for about 45 minutes. Drain beans, reserving the cooking water for step 3 below.

2. Heat a large dutch over or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, celery, carrots, garlic and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Add beans to pot along with salt, to taste. Pour in enough or the reserved bean cooking water to just cover the beans (about 7 to 8 cups). Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently until beans are just tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

4. While beans are simmering, heat a small saucepan or frying pan over medium heat. Add wine and simmer until it is reduced to 2/3 cup, about 20-30 minutes.

5. Remove and discard rosemary sprigs. Pour reduced wine into beans and simmer for another 10 to 20 minutes to meld flavors and thicken broth. To serve, ladle beans into bowls and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh-ground black pepper.

Pigging Out on Bacon

My March classic cooking theme takes a different tact this week as I focus on recipes with a common key ingredient, that most classic of meats: bacon. I’ll be focusing on a variety dishes that use the meat in different ways, including a wonderful bean stew, risotto, pasta, soup, salad and yes, cocktails.

Bacon is basically the most amazing meat—smoky and salty with a texture that’s the perfect intersection of chewy and crispy. Although always welcome at breakfast and in sandwiches, bacon’s versatility has allowed it to find a home in every meal from dishes that satisfy with downhome simplicity to those with a great degree of culinary creativity. Recently, bacon has wormed its way into dessert, even cocktails.

Chefs are in love with it too: I see it on menus from all sorts of restaurants. Chef Josh Valentine, one of the more memorable contestants on this year’s Top Chef, was particularly known for using bacon (with results that always made me really hungry).

So loved is bacon that substitutes from soy and turkey have been created for non-meat or pork eaters. Valiant though this may be, fake bacon doesn’t hold a candle to the real thing. I’ve heard of vegetarians that, perhaps secretly, indulge in bacon as their one guilty meat pleasure. I’m not going to debate the ethics of that, although given my own love for bacon, I can sympathize. “No one but a vegan can get excited about fake bacon,” says Michael Pollan in the new issue of Lucky Peach (although he’s arguing that for environmental and societal reasons we need better meat substitutes--If they come along, I'll keep an open mind).

When I say “bacon” I’m referring specifically to the American form, which is typically cut from pork belly in strips about an inch wide, a foot long and 1/8 to ¼-inch thick with even streaks of red (meaty) and white (fatty) parts (foreigners thus call it “streaky” bacon). Fattier bacon, that is bacon with more white than red, will cook up crispier, and meatier, leaner bacon is chewier, but I think a happy medium is best.

If you can’t wait to see what bacon dishes I’ll feature this week (or just want more ideas) here are some of the best dishes I’ve made in the past with bacon:

Modernist Mac & Cheese with bacon and roasted cauliflower

• Bacon adds smoky notes and richness to soups and stews, like Jacques Pepin’s Beef in Red Wine Sauce or the bacon-enhanced broth I used to make French Onion Soup.
• Bacon adds salty complexity to vegetables sides, such as in this Broiled Salmon with White Bean, Kale and Bacon Ragout, and classic salads like the Canlis and the Wedge.
• Bacon finds a natural partner in cheese, particularly Mac & Cheese, like in this modernist version with roasted cauliflower.
• And yes, I have put bacon in dessert and it’s great, like the Maple-Bacon Ice Cream in this By The Fire sundae I made this year for Valentine’s Day.