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[title]Welcome to Tiny Kitchen Recipes, a feature in which we ask chefs, writers and food bloggers in New York City and beyond to share a recipe with us. Always wallet-friendly, these creations are feasible whether you live to cook or recently stopped using your oven for shoe storage.
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This year, Bacon Day falls on August 31. Here are two easy recipes—the first a simple sandwich, the second an optional addition for true hog-heads—you can make at home to mark the illustrious holiday.
A perfect BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato) from Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes by Peter Kaminsky and Marie Rama
- 6 slices bacon (thin-to-medium thickness, depending on your preference)
- 1 medium-size ripe Hass avocado, peeled with pit removed
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 dashes your choice of hot sauce (optional), or more to taste
- 2 leaves romaine lettuce, large enough to slightly overlap the edges of the bread
- 4 slices multigrain bread, toasted
- 1 medium-size ripe tomato (preferably locally grown), cored and cut into 4 thin slices
Cook the bacon in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon, using tongs to turn the slices and adjusting the heat as necessary. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel–lined plate to drain.
Combine the avocado, lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot sauce (if using) in a small bowl, and mash the avocado with a fork until smooth. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or hot sauce as necessary. Set the avocado spread aside. Rinse the romaine-lettuce leaves and pat them dry with paper towels.
Place 2 of the slices of bread on a work surface. Spread each slice with 1/2 of the avocado spread. Layer the lettuce, tomato and bacon over the spread, dividing the ingredients evenly between each sandwich. (If the bacon slices overlap the bread, simply cut or fold them in half to fit within the bread’s edges.) Top each sandwich with the remaining slice of bread, then cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.
Makes 2 sandwiches.
Bacon aioli
- 3 slices bacon, diced
- 1 whole large head garlic
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/3 tsp apple cider vinegar
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cook the bacon in a medium-size skillet over medium heat until the bacon is lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel–lined plate to drain, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet.
Cut off and discard the top of the head of garlic to expose the cloves, then generously brush the exposed cloves with some of the bacon fat. Wrap the head of garlic in aluminum foil and bake the garlic until the cloves are tender, about 35 minutes. Let the garlic cool until slightly warm, 5 to 10 minutes.
Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins into a medium-size mixing bowl and mash them well with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, cider vinegar and drained bacon, and stir to blend well. Season the aioli and refrigerate it for a few hours to let the flavors bloom before using. The aioli can be refrigerated, covered, for up to a week.
Makes about 1 cup.
Both recipes are reprinted from Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes, Peter Kaminsky and Marie Rama's ode to the popular porcine cut.