baconoki
July 13, 2008
Don’t overlook the recipes that are printed next to wine advertisements in Food & Wine magazine. Sometimes these are the best recipes in the issue. Simple, tasty and great for pairing. This is what I call Baconoki which was adapted from a recipe from F&W.
Anything with the words “bacon wrapped” are an instant hit. At the holidays, I make a bacon wrapped date or bacon wrapped scallops or shrimp. I came across this recipe for bacon wrapped enoki mushrooms in Food & Wine and I do believe it is my new favorite bacon wrapped item, at least for summer climate it is. Some might think having a recipe for this is silly. Well after the holidays, I had a few people ask me how to make the bacon wrapped dates so I figured I should have some notes on this one.
Baconoki
Makes 48 bundles- serves about 20-25 as an hors d’ouevres.
Halve recipe for smaller groups.
1 1lb package of thick sliced Nueskes Applewood Smoked Bacon.
Niman Ranch is fine as well. I prefer using the thick cut to the regular cut
and was able to cut 16 strips into 3 crosswise strips each for more end product.
IF you choose to use thin, then cut the strips in half.
Also- better quality bacon such as these two brands I have mentioned will have less
shrinkage than the watered down ones. Keep that in mind when deciding whether to
cut strips in half or thirds.
2 4 oz packages of enoki mushrooms.
This usually come in bundles as they are stuck together at the roots and can
be found at any Asian or specialty market.
When washing and trimming these, I like to cut off the stumps, all the way up
so they are separate easily. Wash them in a bowl or basin of cold water and drain them.
4 scallions aka green onions, washed and quartered lenghtwise, then
cut into 3″ strips.
Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
Make the bundles. Take a piece of cut bacon, put about an inch worth of enoki mushrooms in a bundle and 3-4 onion strips, and roll it all up tightly. Secure with a a toothpick. If you like, you can sprinkle fresh ground pepper inside each bundle before rolling it up.
Arrange the adorable bundles onto a baking sheet. I like to line my baking sheets with non-stick aluminum foil for easier clean up. This is not necessary and the bacon bundles shouldn’t stick to the pan so no need to grease it. Parchment paper would work too. Do not crowd them, but no worry about expansion here. Unfortunately, bacon does not expand.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and drain on paper towels. Or not. Serve on platters in single layer or as a side garnish with a complementary soup or bruschetta.
PARTY PREP:
All the cutting and washing can be done a day ahead and the clean mushrooms and onion strips can be stored in a single layer on paper towels or tea towels, lightly rolled up and stored in an airtight container.
It’s best to do the prep above a day ahead as opposed to the assembly of the actual bundles.
Don’t overlook the recipes that are printed next to wine advertisements in Food & Wine magazine. Sometimes these are the best recipes in the issue. Simple, tasty and great for pairing. This is what I call Baconoki which was adapted from a recipe from F&W.
Anything with the words “bacon wrapped” are an instant hit. At the holidays, I make a bacon wrapped date or bacon wrapped scallops or shrimp. I came across this recipe for bacon wrapped enoki mushrooms in Food & Wine and I do believe it is my new favorite bacon wrapped item, at least for summer climate it is. Some might think having a recipe for this is silly. Well after the holidays, I had a few people ask me how to make the bacon wrapped dates so I figured I should have some notes on this one.
Baconoki
Makes 48 bundles- serves about 20-25 as an hors d’ouevres.
Halve recipe for smaller groups.
1 1lb package of thick sliced Nueskes Applewood Smoked Bacon.
Niman Ranch is fine as well. I prefer using the thick cut to the regular cut
and was able to cut 16 strips into 3 crosswise strips each for more end product.
IF you choose to use thin, then cut the strips in half.
Also- better quality bacon such as these two brands I have mentioned will have less
shrinkage than the watered down ones. Keep that in mind when deciding whether to
cut strips in half or thirds.
2 4 oz packages of enoki mushrooms.
This usually come in bundles as they are stuck together at the roots and can
be found at any Asian or specialty market.
When washing and trimming these, I like to cut off the stumps, all the way up
so they are separate easily. Wash them in a bowl or basin of cold water and drain them.
4 scallions aka green onions, washed and quartered lenghtwise, then
cut into 3″ strips.
Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
Make the bundles. Take a piece of cut bacon, put about an inch worth of enoki mushrooms in a bundle and 3-4 onion strips, and roll it all up tightly. Secure with a a toothpick. If you like, you can sprinkle fresh ground pepper inside each bundle before rolling it up.
Arrange the adorable bundles onto a baking sheet. I like to line my baking sheets with non-stick aluminum foil for easier clean up. This is not necessary and the bacon bundles shouldn’t stick to the pan so no need to grease it. Parchment paper would work too. Do not crowd them, but no worry about expansion here. Unfortunately, bacon does not expand.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and drain on paper towels. Or not. Serve on platters in single layer or as a side garnish with a complementary soup or bruschetta.
PARTY PREP:
All the cutting and washing can be done a day ahead and the clean mushrooms and onion strips can be stored in a single layer on paper towels or tea towels, lightly rolled up and stored in an airtight container.
It’s best to do the prep above a day ahead as opposed to the assembly of the actual bundles.
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