Bacon caught your attention, didn’t it? I’ll take that as a yes. Crisp bacon strips with eggs sounds like the perfect hangover curing breakfast. Yes, bacon does make anything better. But even you know it’s not good for you (such a buzzkill). That’s why I rarely pick a small packet of it at the supermarket. This time around, I wanted to try my hands on bacon jam. Sweet, salty and sticky bacon and onion jam.
Caramelized onions when taken far enough just so they’re sticky and sweet can be quite the delicious treat. Be it over plain toast or in a sandwich, bacon jam is the kind of condiment you’d want on your table (heck, every table) all the time. It’s the equivalent of an ice cream tub in the freezer for me. Just there for me, whenever I’m a little down in the dumps.
This one does take over an hour to cook and get to that spot of divine deliciousness. Have patience. All good things take some time to reach their full potential. The onions in this jam do too. The best thing to do is, cook it the night before and use it for breakfast next morning. The one hour of cooking doesn’t need you stand over the stove sweating it out. Most of it is idle time, with occasional stirring and lurking over the pot. Give it a shot and you’ll never buy this stuff ready made.
Yield:
1 cup
Prep time:
5 mins
Cooking time:
1 hour (mostly idle)
Ingredients:
Bacon – 1 packet of the cubes OR 200 gm cut into tiny pieces
Onions – 3 large onions chopped (not too fine)
Balsamic vinegar – 3 tbsp
Brown sugar – 3 tbsp
Mustard paste – 2 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Method:
Heat a pan and toss the bacon in there to cook for around 6-7 mins or till all the fat has been rendered. The bacon should be browned and not burnt.
Take it off the pan and drain the fat except one tbsp of it.
Tip the onions in and sweat it out.
When the onions are partially translucent, add the rest of the ingredients and let it all cook over medium heat for 10 mins.
Now lower the flame, add 3 tbsp water and cover the pan with a lid.
Cook for 20 mins without disturbing it. Give it a stir, cover and let it cook for another 40 mins.
Just make sure it doesn’t still to the bottom of the pan.
Once the consistency is jammy, take it off the heat and let it cool.
You could pulse it in your blender for 30 seconds or so just to make it a little smooth.
Put it in an air tight jar and store in the fridge. Use it over the next week. Hopefully, you go through with it in just two days.
