I accidentally discovered something amazing. And by ‘accident’ I mean “I taste everything, even though there are some things that you just shouldn’t taste”; and by ‘amazing’ I mean “it comes from bacon. duh”. Here is the story of Bacon Balsamic Vinaigrette:
Once upon a time, I made Bacon Wrapped Chicken *see blog titled “All Tied Up in Bacon “. After the delectable creation had rested for the appropriate time, I unfolded the foil in which It had spent all of its time. Pooling in the corner of the now semi crumpled foil was a marbling of light and brown liquid. I MUST TASTE!!! So I did. It was amazing. I felt creepy and gross the whole time, but damn!! YUM! Now, being the ever faithful ACI student, I waste nothing; I dovetail. I will use something to its most elemental state. And so, when left with bacon drippings and spinach, I went to a happy place. Balsamic vinegar. Oh, how I adore BV. I remember the first time I tried this delicious condiment (with the heaping piles of bread at Buco di Beppo after my bestie poured it over a bowl filled with olive oil and dried herbs and salt), and frankly it has been a staple in my world since. Partner it up with bacon?! Yes. You want to do this. For that particular dish, I left it simple. Sprinkled a little salt and fresh ground pepper over the dressed spinach and called it delicious. To prove that this accident wasn’t a shot in the dark, I recreated it today. I still got it, kids. At the request of T, the amazing gal who eats my food twice a week with an honest feedback and adventurous palate, I made an entire jar of it. Can you blame me?? Also, the next dish I created for her had bacon sharing its spotlight *see blog post titled ” “, so when better to try this recreation?? My mission was clear. In addition to the bacon gold, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and S&P, I added a hint of mustard. This will make the final product hold better than it would if it were just shaken or whisked rapidly. Hooray mustard’s super binding powers!
Enjoy over salad, as a marinade, dipping sauce…Its good for all of those. And more.
Lena Dee Cooks 