November 8, 2008

Bacon, butterscotch, apple, thyme from Alinea

Anyone who knows me knows two things. One I love pork two I have a sweet tooth, so no wonder this was going to be the first recipe I tried. The key to this dish is having a dehydrator, good thing I bought one from Sur la table. The nice thing about a dehydrator is it doesn’t dry out the bacon, the bacon is not chewy or crispy. It is perfectly cook to bring out all the flavor in the bacon.

This dish is served on what some have called a bacon sex swing at Alinea. It is a beautiful peice of art form Crucial Detail designed or Alinea. I will have to serve my bacon on a modest platter. Maybe i’ll get around to buying a few bacon sex swings in my life time, but in this economy I can’t see myself buying a few bacon sex swings at $40 bucks a pop.

I don’t see too many problems with this dish, but you never know, ok here we go.

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The Alinea book calls for the dehydrator to cook the bacon at 160 F for 3 hours. My dehydrator only went up to 155 F, so I cooked the bacon for 3 hours and 15 minutes at 155 F.

The Alinea book calls for the dehydrator to cook the bacon at 160 F for 3 hours. My dehydrator only went up to 155 F, so I cooked the bacon for 3 hours and 15 minutes at 155 F.

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I have no idea how I ever cooked with out a dehydrator before. There are 5 trays below the one you see, I only cooked one tray for this dish.

I have no idea how I ever cooked with out a dehydrator before. There are 5 trays below the one you see, I only cooked one tray for this dish.

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While the bacon was slow cooking, I started to make the butterscotch. The recipe called for light corn syrup, sugar, and heavy cream. Pretty straight forward.

While the bacon was slow cooking, I started to make the butterscotch. The recipe called for light corn syrup, sugar, and heavy cream. Pretty straight forward.

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So to make the butterscotch you start with the light corn syrup and sugar in a sauce pan and heat them up to 350 degrees. When it reaches 350 you add the heavy cream slowly while wisking it in. The cream will cool down the butterscotch so you’ll have to keep cooing it untill butterscotch gets back up to 240 degrees.

So to make the butterscotch you start with the light corn syrup and sugar in a sauce pan and heat them up to 350 degrees. When it reaches 350 you add the heavy cream slowly while wisking it in. The cream will cool down the butterscotch so you’ll have to keep cooing it untill butterscotch gets back up to 240 degrees.

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This is the finished butterscotch cooling down. Once it cools down you can store it and put it in the refrigerator.

This is the finished butterscotch cooling down. Once it cools down you can store it and put it in the refrigerator.

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The finished butterscotch turned out perfect. Good thing the recipe is way too much for the dish. could not stop eating it. A little tip buy an extra Granny Smith apple and cut it up and dip it in the butterscotch.

The finished butterscotch turned out perfect. Good thing the recipe is way too much for the dish. could not stop eating it. A little tip buy an extra Granny Smith apple and cut it up and dip it in the butterscotch.

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Ok for the apple leather all you need to do is cut the apples in half and place down on a cooking sheet for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Ok for the apple leather all you need to do is cut the apples in half and place down on a cooking sheet for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

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Once the apples are soft you are going to scoop out the apple meat and put it into a blender. Once the apples are blended smooth then run the apple sauce through a chinois.

Once the apples are soft you are going to scoop out the apple meat and put it into a blender. Once the apples are blended smooth then run the apple sauce through a chinois.

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After the apples have been through a chinois you can spray a sheet of acetate with a non stick spray and then apply the apple sauce in a thin layer evenly on the acetate. And cook for 45 minutes at 160 degrees. This takes practice, the most important part is to spread the apple sauce very evenly.

After the apples have been through a chinois you can spray a sheet of acetate with a non stick spray and then apply the apple sauce in a thin layer evenly on the acetate. And cook for 45 minutes at 160 degrees. This takes practice, the most important part is to spread the apple sauce very evenly.

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Bacon, butterscotch, apples, and tyme need I say more. I can eat this dish as a first course, second course, and the last course. The flavors work perfectly together, in the first bite the juicy bacon kicks off the flavor and then the tart/sweet apple leather jumps in and by the second bite your mouth is going crazy with this amazing butterscotch flavor. Once you get a bite of the bacon with the tyme the aromatic herb just opens everything up. I recomend this dish to everyone who loves pork. I have had bacon a million ways, but after this dish it seems there is only one way to have bacon. Its like the dog in the commercial say: BACON, BACON, BACON!

Bacon, butterscotch, apples, and tyme need I say more. I can eat this dish as a first course, second course, and the last course. The flavors work perfectly together, in the first bite the juicy bacon kicks off the flavor and then the tart/sweet apple leather jumps in and by the second bite your mouth is going crazy with this amazing butterscotch flavor. Once you get a bite of the bacon with the tyme the aromatic herb just opens everything up.

I recomend this dish to everyone who loves pork. I have had bacon a million ways, but after this dish it seems there is only one way to have bacon. Its like the dog in the commercial say: BACON, BACON, BACON!

Comments (View)