There are, by my count, at least seven levels of fried chicken. The worst of them is good; the best, which I waited forty-four years to find, led to what can only be called an out-of-body experience. Let’s start at …
Caramelizing Bacon
Caramelizing is the process of heating sugar until it turns into caramel, giving it a distinctly sweet taste and a sticky texture. By cooking bacon with caramelized sugar, you can turn everyone's favorite salty treat into a sweet delicacy that can be used in a variety of dishes or eaten on its own. Add this to my Recipe Box.
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Sugaring
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Caramelizing bacon is an easy process that can be broken down into a couple of steps. The first involves covering the bacon in brown sugar. To do this, mix 1/2 cup of brown sugar with a small amount of water in a bowl. Dip individual slices of bacon into the mixture before placing them on a baking sheet. The sugar mixture should stick to the bacon. If it is too thick, add a little more water.
Baking
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After the bacon has been coated in brown sugar, it needs to be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to a medium heat and place the tray in the oven. Turn the slices of bacon over after roughly eight minutes and keep cooking until the sugar starts to bubble. The longer you cook the bacon, the crispier it will come out. Reduce the cooking time if you want softer caramelized bacon.
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Variations
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There are a number of techniques you can try to make different varieties of caramelized bacon. Instead of brown sugar and water, coat the bacon in maple syrup. The result will be a distinctly maple taste, which some people prefer. You can also add a small amount of Dijon mustard and pepper to the mix if you want your caramelized bacon to retain a savory taste in addition to sweet.
Ideas
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While caramelized bacon tastes great on its own, it also can be used in a number of different recipes. Chop up caramelized bacon and mix it into a green salad. The caramelized bacon bits will add a distinct flavor.
Cut the bacon strips in half and place them on a pizza along with vegetables.
Because caramelized bacon is sweet, it can also be added to desserts. Chop up caramelized bacon and cook it into an apple crumble.
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References
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