Lacquered Bacon
1/3 C. mango chutney (such as Major Grey), any large chunks chopped
1/4 C. apple juice or 3 tablespoons water with 1 tablespoon light or dark brown
sugar
2 T. yellow or brown mustard
1 T. white or cider vinegar
12 thick slices (about 3/4 lb.) bacon
Preheat oven to 375�F.
Stir chutney, juice, mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl.
Arrange bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until it begins to look
opaque and the fat begins to render, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour off any accumulated
drippings.
Turn over the bacon and brush the glaze on each slice, using about half. Return
to oven and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from oven and turn again. Brush
with remaining glaze and return it to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until
well-browned and firm. (With the glaze, the bacon gets chewy and crunchy but
stays short of crisp.) To drain, set bacon on a rack over paper towels rather
than directly on towels, which would wipe off the glaze. Serve warm. Makes 6
servings.
Variation 1:
For chile-glazed bacon, substitute a red-chile honey or jelly for the mango
chutney and a tablespoon of pickling liquid from a jar of pickled jalape�os for
the vinegar.
Variation 2:
For maple-glazed Canadian bacon, use Canadian bacon, glazing it with a
tablespoon of real maple syrup mixed with 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Coat a
large skillet with just enough oil to make a thin film and fry a dozen
1/3-inch-thick Canadian bacon slices until lightly browned on the first side,
about 2 minutes. Turn and coat that side of slices very lightly with
syrup-mustard mixture. When bacon has cooked about 2 minutes on the second side,
turn and coat again with the remaining syrup. Fry for another minute on each
side and serve warm.
Copyright 2000-2006
