Caramelized Bacon

There were a few recipes at Stevens Catering that we could not make enough of. Guests kept coming back for more until it was all gone. This is one of those recipes. I finally learned to ask clients how much to make and they understood when it was gone I would remove the serving dish from the table and guests would eat other things. Ina Garten did a great job on this recipe and it is just that good. Enjoy!

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Caramelized Bacon

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, Ina Garten, page 31
Course Appetizer, Party Food
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon, brown sugar, cayenne, maple syrup, pecans

Equipment

  • sheet pan
  • Food processor

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup chopped or whole pecans
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 pound thick-sliced Applewood-smoked bacon I use Wright's Hickory Smoked

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (for easy cleaning) and place a wire baking rack on top.
  • Combine the brown sugar and pecans in a food processor and process until the pecans are finely ground. Add the salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and pulse to combine. Add the maple syrup and pulse again to moisten the crumbs.
  • Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise and line up the pieces on the baking rack without touching. With a small spoon, evenly spread the pecan mixture on top of each piece of bacon, using all of the mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is very browned but not burnt. If it's underbaked, the bacon won't crisp as it cools.
  • While its hot, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside to cool. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

These can be made early in the day and stored at room temperature.

This post includes affiliate links where I may get a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

    Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

    Proud to see my former Culinary Arts student, Omar, working the oyster bar at Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp. I like to order Shrimp Gumbo to see if it’s anything like what I make. To my surprise, the roux tasted exactly like mine! I will order it again along with the Oysters Royale that Omar so generously shared. I’m glad he did, after watching him make them I was ready to order them for dessert. In honor of Omar, I’m sharing the Shrimp Okra Gumbo Recipe by Chef Paul Prudhomme. Enjoy!

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    Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

    Inspired by The Prudhomme Family Cookbook, 1987, page 194
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Cajun
    Keyword hot, okra, rice, roux, shrimp
    Servings 12 main dish servings

    Equipment

    • shrimp peeler/ de-veiner
    • heavy stock pot
    • Cast-iron Dutch oven

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds small shrimp peeled and shrimp shells used to make stock
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground red pepper may use more
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 cups finely chopped onion in all
    • 2 cups finely chopped bell peppers
    • 1 cup vegetable oil in all
    • 1 cup all purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 pounds okra, sliced 1/4 inch (about 6 cups) can use frozen
    • 1 1/2 cups tomatoes peeled and chopped
    • 3 quarts Seafood Stock in all
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic finely chopped
    • 1 cup chopped green onions tops only

    Instructions

    • Place shrimp shells in large pot and cover with 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until stock is needed.
    • Place the shrimp in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper, and the garlic powder. Stir well, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
    • In a medium size bowl, combine 1 cup of the onions with the bell peppers and set aside.
    • Heat 1/2 cup oil in a 2 quart cast-iron Dutch oven over high heat until oil is hot and just short of smoking, about 4 minutes. Using a long -handled metal whisk or wooden spoon, very gradually stir the flour into the hot oil. Cook, whisking constantly or stirring briskly, until roux is medium red-brown, 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let mixture scorch or splash on your skin. Reduce heat to low and cook until roux is dark red-brown, 1 to 2 minutes more, whisking or stirring constantly. Remove from heat and immediately add the onion and bell pepper mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Continue stirring until roux stops getting darker, about 2 minutes more. Set aside.
    • In a 6-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven, combine the remaining 1/2 cup oil with the okra, tomatoes, 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt, the remaining 1 cup onions, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper. Place over high heat and cook about 20 minutes, until sticking is excessive, stirring frequently (almost constantly toward end of cooking time) and scraping pan bottom well each time. Add 1/2 cup of the stock and cook and stir about 5 minutes more. (The procedure of stirring and scraping the pan bottom is a major factor in making this dish so good!)
    • Remove the shrimp shells from the stock. Add 3 1/2 cups of the stock to the okra tomato mixture and stir until all sediment on pan bottom is dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil, then add the roux by spoonfuls to the boiling stock, stirring until roux is blended in before adding more. Add the remaining 2 quarts stock, the chopped garlic, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the green onions and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Now turn heat to high, stir in the shrimp; cook just until gumbo comes to a simmer and shrimp are pink and plump, stirring occasionally. Do not overcook shrimp. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
    • Serve 1 1/2 cups gumbo over cooked rice.

    Notes

    This recipe is best made with fresh gulf shrimp.  If not available, buy Texas Gulf Shrimp with peel on the in the frozen case.  i never buy farm raised or from any foreign country, only Gulf shrimp will do. 

    This post includes affiliate links where I may get a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. These are the exact same stock pot and peeler I use. The Dutch oven is similar, They work just fine. Thanks for your support.

      Easy Pickled Cucumber Rounds

      When the garden starts producing and the cucumbers are prolific, I make this recipe to keep in the refrigerator. It’s perfect with any meal and especially great with sandwiches and salads.

      Southerners like sweet pickles with the summer bounty from the garden. I gave a jar to my neighbor telling him it would last about a week and a half in the refrigerator. He later told me I was wrong. They only lasted a day. Keep this recipe going all summer and you will use up that bounty of cucumbers plus make a few neighbors happy. Enjoy!

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      Easy Pickled Cucumber Rounds

      Recipe from Cooks.com
      Course Relish
      Cuisine American
      Keyword cucumbers, onions, peppers, pickled
      Servings 8 cups

      Equipment

      • medium saucepan
      • 9x13x2 inch glass baking dish

      Ingredients

      • 1 1/2 cup sugar
      • 1 1/2 cup white vinegar
      • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
      • 1 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
      • 1 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
      • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
      • 6 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
      • 2 medium onions thinly sliced
      • 1 small sweet red pepper thinly sliced
      • 1 small green pepper thinly sliced

      Instructions

      • Combine first six ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.
      • Slice all vegetables in a food processor using the slicing blade. Layer vegetables in a 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours. Mixture may be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to one month.

      Click here for post on Savory Spices

      Note, this post includes affiliate links where I may get a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

        Italian Cream Cheese Cake, Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Icing Recipe for both!

        By special request, I am posting the recipe for Carrot Cake—or was it Italian Cream Cheese Cake??? I cant remember, so you are getting both with the recipe for icing that is used on both.

        I changed my opinion of Cream Cheese Icing when I saw this recipe in Baking and Pastry Cookbook from The Culinary Institute of America. It seemed that my recipe was runny no matter how much powdered sugar was added. I realized that the large amount of cream cheese and butter made this recipe light and fluffy without a lot of sweetness from the powdered sugar. That’s when we started using this recipe at Stevens Catering.

        The recipe for Carrot Cake is large, but is well worth the effort. You can always bake 2 smaller cakes and freeze one. Butavan is a commercial flavoring that is no longer being marketed. It can be substituted with 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 butter flavoring. It is a good product and used in commercial cakes. If you would like to try something similar, I have put a link below. Enjoy!

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        Italian Cream Cake

        Carrie won 1st place at the Angelina Youth Fair with this recipe. She garnished it with fresh pansies!
        Course Dessert
        Cuisine American
        Keyword cake, coconut, cream cheese, pecans

        Equipment

        • 3 9" round pans
        • stand mixer

        Ingredients

        • 2 cups sugar
        • 1 teaspoon baking soda
        • 1 stick margarine/ butter
        • 1 cup buttermilk
        • 1/2 cup shortening
        • 2 cups coconut
        • 5 eggs
        • 1 cup pecans chopped
        • 2 cups flour
        • 1 teaspoon vanilla

        Cream Cheese Icing- from The Culinary Institute, Baking and Pastry Book, Page 422

        • 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese
        • 2 sticks butter
        • 8 ounces powdered sugar
        • 1 tablespoon vanilla

        Instructions

        • Cream sugar, butter, and shortening. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. Combine flour and soda. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to creamed mixture .
        • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites and vanilla into batter. Stir in coconut and pecans. Bake in three layers at 350 degree F for 25 minutes.
        • Frost layers with Cream Cheese Icing.

        Notes

        Cream Cheese Icing
        • 2- 8 ounce pkg cream cheese
        • 1 lb. powdered sugar
        • 2 sticks butter
        • 1 tablespoon vanilla
        1. Blend the cream cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed until smooth.
        2. Add the butter, in stages, and blend well.  Add the confectioners’  sugar and blend on low speed until fully incorporated.  Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Blend in the vanilla.
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        Cap’s Carrot Cake

        Recipe from Earlene's Cakes http://www.earlenescakes.com
        Course Dessert
        Cuisine American
        Keyword cake, carrots, pineapple, toasted pecans

        Equipment

        • stand mixer
        • cake pans

        Ingredients

        • 4 cups sugar
        • 3 cups vegetable oil
        • 6 whole eggs
        • 4 cups flour
        • 2 cups cake flour
        • 4 teaspoons baking soda
        • 1 teaspoon salt
        • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
        • 4 cups carrots grated
        • 1 15 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice
        • 1 cup pecans chopped
        • 2 tablespoons Butavan can use half vanilla and half butter flavoring

        Instructions

        • Maximun for a 5 qt. mixing bowl.
        • Beat sugar, oil and eggs until thoroughly creamed.
        • Measure flours, soda, salt and cinnamon and mix together. Add to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
        • Add carrots, pineapple, pecan and flavoring. Mix well.
        • Fill pans 1/2 full. Makes 3- 10 inch layers.
        • Bake at 300 degrees F for 55 minutes for small cakes and up to 1 1/2 hour for large cakes.
        • Cool layers and frost with Cream Cheese Icing.

        Notes

        This is a large recipe but well worth the effort

        Note, this post includes affiliate links where I may get a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. The Carrot Cake calls for a 5 qt. mixer as shown below. Since I have burned up several mixers except the one made by Hobart, I look for Hobart Kitchen Aide Mixers at estate sales. Of course, I was using them everyday commercially. For home use this type will do fine. Thanks for your support.

          Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

          Roasted Red Pepper Aioli is on the right served with Roast Beef

          Anytime you see Creamy Horseradish Sauce served on a carving board at Stevens Catering, you will see Roasted Red Pepper Aioli next to it. Both sauces go well with roast beef. The Aioli makes 2 1/3 cups and only takes 1 cup to make the Roasted Red Pepper variation. You can make Chipotle Aioli by adding to 1 cup Aioli 1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle sauce or add to taste. Dijon Aioli calls for adding 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard to 1 cup Aioli. Or, you can just serve the Aioli plain. Enjoy!

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          Aioli with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli Recipe variation

          Aioli is a garlic flavored mayonnaise. Bon Appetit, June 1999
          Course Sauce
          Cuisine Mediterranean
          Keyword garlic, mayonnaise, red peppers
          Servings 2 cups

          Equipment

          • Food processor

          Ingredients

          • 6 cloves garlic peeled
          • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
          • 2 cups mayonnaise
          • salt and pepper to taste
          • 1 15 ounce jar roasted red peppers well drained and patted dry

          Instructions

          • Finely chop garlic cloves in a food processor. Gradually blend in oil. Add mayonnaise and blend until smooth.
          • Season to taste with salt and pepper

          Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

          • To 1 cup Aioli, add one 15 ounce jar roasted red peppers, well drained and patted dry. Blend until smooth.

          Note, this post includes affiliate links where I may get a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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