Cook the Book: Bacon Fat Mayonnaise
When you decide that you are going to write an entire book devoted to bacon, it's pretty much a given that the recipes are going to be good. Ari Weinzweig has filled Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon with some truly wonderful baconcentric recipes, but this recipe for Bacon Fat Mayonnaise is pure genius.
By whipping up some rendered bacon fat with egg yolks, lemon, some mustard, salt, and pepper, you have made what is essentially a spreadable BLT. Once you have a jar of this stuff in your fridge, the possibilities are endless. Can you imagine the deviled eggs that this stuff would make? Or what about a bacon-tinged chicken salad or even a humble fried egg on a roll? I told you: genius. This recipe also caters to all of the lazy bacon eaters out there who love bacon but are hesitant to dirty a pan every time a craving strikes.
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Bacon Fat Mayonnaise
- makes 2 cups -
Adapted from Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon by Ari Weinzweig.
Ingredients
5 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
7 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups rendered bacon fat
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper to taste
Procedure
1. Chill the ingredients and utensils (including your mixing bowl) down to about 40°F. Don't skip this step or the mayonnaise may break.
2. Put the egg yolks, mustard, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the into a blender or mixing bowl. Beat on high for 2 minutes, until well blended.
3. Add the bacon fat (no need to add gradually if everything is properly chilled), continuing to beat until the mixture is thick. Depending on how thick and rich you like your mayonnaise you may or may not need the entire amount of fat.
4. Slowly blend in the remaining lemon juice, sea salt and pepper, whipping it pretty much continuously throughout. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
5. The mayonnaise keeps for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
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7 Comments:
This would make a killer B+B+BLT (I like heavy bacon) :D
hungrychristel at 2:09PM on 09/15/09
Bacon is the perfect food.
Sweet and salty.
Rich (fat) and lean.
The texture is fully adjustable from soft and chewy to snappy and crisp. Bacon is equally well suited for savory potatoes and sweet dark chocolate.
No other food (with the possible exception of butter) comes close to the versatility of bacon.
Tazzo at 2:22PM on 09/15/09
I don't quite understand why 5 egg yolks are necessary here. I've never used more than 1 in homemade mayo, and I've never had it break. Granted, I'm making batches about half this size, but still. Great concept though.
Nicholas H at 2:44PM on 09/15/09
Nicholas -- I would assume the extra yolks provide fluidity since bacon fat is solid at room temp (whereas usual mayo oils are liquid).
ilovebutter at 5:52PM on 09/15/09
Bacon fat mayonnaise sounds great. Anyone ever had baconnaise though? Not so great.
madfishgrill at 8:34PM on 09/15/09
Really? Tellicherry black pepper? Is the pepper THAT much better that it needs to be explicitly requested?
smallblondemom at 10:09PM on 09/15/09
@smallblondemom:
I thought the same so I looked into it. Facinating stuff.
Tellicherry is not a "what", it's a "where". Located on the South-Western coast of the tip of India, near Cochin, Tellicherry is in the heart of pepper country.
Also known as Tellicherry Garbled Extra Bold; they are larger in size and renowned for their high quality. They are exported from the town of Tellicherry on the Malabar Coast of India. Piperine content of 6.6% and a volatile oil content of 4.7%.Although the size of the peppercorn is very important to garnering the name, "Tellicherry", the maturity of the peppercorn is the ultimately all-deciding factor.
It is the extra-ripening time that the Tellicherry peppercorn receives that
increases the percentage of essential oils in the fruit and makes it taste so aromatic...
More at Confessions of a Chilihead: Tina Brooks
hungrychristel at 9:50AM on 09/16/09