OLIVE, BACON AND CHEESE BREAD
Makes 4 mini or 1 large loaf
5ml salt
625ml flour
10ml baking powder
375ml grated Emmenthal cheese
100g black olives, pitted, sliced
100g green olives, pitted, sliced
45ml chopped parsley
30ml butter
200g black pepper streaky bacon
1 onion, finely chopped
200ml beer
50ml olive oil
3 eggs
Preheat ove to 180°C.
In a bowl, sift salt, flour and baking powder. Add in 300ml of the cheese, olives and parsley. Set aside.
Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the bacon and onion for a few minutes. Drain in a sieve (this will stop the dough becoming soggy). Add to the dry ingredients.
In a jug, whisk together beer, oil and eggs and mix into the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
Pour into four greased and base-lined mini loaf pans. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.
Ten minutes before the end of the baking time, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake.
Remove and cool slightly in pans before turning out on a cooling rack.
Delicious served warm with butter.
* The pepper-flavoured bacon can be replaced with normal streaky bacon.
PEAR, BACON AND GOAT’S CHEESE SALAD
Serves 4
200g lean back bacon
20g butter
4 pears, cored, cut into wedges
15ml brown sugar
200g rocket
150g goat’s cheese
60ml chopped pistachio nuts
Dressing
30ml red wine vinegar
30ml olive oil
10ml Dijon mustard
10ml honey
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Place bacon on an oven tray and bake until crisp.
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter, add the pears and sprinkle with brown sugar.
Turning occasionally, cook for 4-5 minutes or until pears are lightly caramelised.
Remove from heat.
Arrange rocket leaves on serving plate, then place the bacon and the pears on top.
Crumble over goat’s cheese and sprinkle over pistachios.
Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.
DRESSING: Combine all ingredients and mix well.
BACON, LEEK AND BRIE QUICHE
Serves 4
Shortcrust pastry
375ml flour
2ml salt
100g cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
ice water to mix
Filling
40g butter
1 punnet of baby leeks, sliced
250g back bacon, finely chopped
45ml wholegrain mustard
150g brie, thinly sliced
4 eggs, lightly whisked
200ml cream
salt and pepper
PASTRY: Put flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and enough water to make a soft, but not sticky, dough. Remove and knead for a minute. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle, about 3mm thick.
Use pastry to line a shallow 10x34cm quiche tin, with removable base. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Remove pastry from fridge and bake blind for 20 minutes.
FILLING: Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat until foaming. Add the leeks and the bacon and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes until the leeks soften.
Remove from heat.
Spread mustard over the partially cooked pastry base. Top with the leek mixture and half the brie slices.
Whisk the eggs and cream in a bowl. Season and pour into the pastry case.
Top with the rest of the brie slices. Bake for 25-30 minutes until just set.
Serve warm.
CAULIFLOWER AND BACON GRATIN
Serves 6
15ml vegetable oil
400g thick bacon rashers, cubed
2 onions, halved and sliced
4 medium potatoes, unpeeled and thickly sliced
600g cauliflower cut into bite-size florets
100g grated Gruyère cheese
125ml chopped chives
salt and pepper
250ml cream
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Heat oil in a pan and fry bacon for 10 minutes until starting to crisp. Add the onion and sizzle for another 10 minutes until soft and golden.
Meanwhile, tip the potatoes into a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower and boil for a further 5 minutes. Drain into a colander.
In an ovenproof dish, layer the potato and cauliflower, and then scatter over the bacon and onion, a small handful of cheese, a sprinkling of chives and season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle with a little cream. Continue until all the layers are finished, pour over remaining cream and scatter with cheese and chives.
Bake for 30 minutes until bubbling. Remove from oven and set aside for 1 minute to rest.
Serve straight from the dish.
BUTTERNUT AND BACON PASTA BAKE
Serves 4-6
800g butternut, cut into thin wedges
30ml olive oil
a few sprigs of thyme
coarse salt
2 red onions, cut into wedges
250g streaky bacon
200g penne pasta
40g butter
30ml flour
500ml milk
80ml crumbled blue cheese
125ml grated mature cheddar
125ml grated Parmesan plus extra for topping
2ml white pepper
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Combine butternut, oil and thyme on a lined baking tray. Season well. Roast for 15 minutes.
Add onion wedges and roast for a further 15 minutes.
Place bacon on a greased baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Chop the bacon.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Add bacon and butternut to the pasta.
In a clean saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until foaming. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Stir in the cheeses and season with pepper.
Pour over the pasta mixture and stir to combine.
Grease an ovenproof dish. Spoon in the pasta mixture and sprinkle with extra Parmesan.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
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