A bit over six years ago, I posted about Water-Cooked Bacon, how very tasty it was, and how mebbe one could play around with the seasonings and even the cooking liquids.
Then… stuff happened and never quite got back around to testing out alternatives.
And then…
I was reading a novel, and one of the main characters was cooking bacon in water for another of the main characters, and then…
I got a new cookbook that called for water fried bacon in a fried Brussels sprouts salad.
It would seem, the fates had meant for me to try this all again.
Unlike the first time, I had a bit over one pound of “Nashville Hot” seasoned bacon from my market, so no additional seasoning(s) were called for.
INGREDIENTS
•1 lb bacon (try a seasoned one)
•1/2 cup water
You can keep the bacon in whole slices, but I needed pieces for the salad, so went ahead and cut mine into one inch pieces.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, then add the bacon and the water.
Give it a stir, breaking up the sliced bacon chunks, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the water has evaporated.
Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring often, until the fat has been rendered and the bacon is crispy.
Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain, then strain the bacon fat and save in a covered container, because…
Number 1: bacon fat is our friend!
And…
Number 2: we’re gonna need two tablespoons of that tasty Nashville Hot seasoned bacon fat to make the vinaigrette for the crispy Brussels Sprouts Salad.
Which I will go over, in detail, tomorrow.
Until then, think about all the wonderful things (other than tomorrow’s salad) you can do with these crispity bacon pieces.
So, gotta tell you, I was skeptical about water cooked bacon, but decided to give it a try. Turned out great. Cut slices in half to cook (they fit better in the pan that way). Crispy and no bacon smell in the house! Bonus: 3 ‘slices’ of bacon is really just a slice and a half. Still very satisfying. I will cook bacon this way again.