Who doesn't love bacon and eggs? Some people love it so much that they make cushions as an homage, then sell them to other bacon-and-egg-loving freak shows... as documented here. If you too love bacon and eggs so very much that you can't believe the dish is confined to breakfast diners and Sunday morning at-home fry-ups, then this is a blog post for you.


Sample, courtesy of the California Caviar Company, caviar flavoured to taste like bacon and eggs. For US$15, you get one ounce of the good stuff, and I'd be somewhat disgusted by the thought of this, except that a) bacon-infused ANYTHING normally tastes pretty good; and b) I once scoffed at lychee-flavoured caviar at the Krug Room, and that turned out to be the shizzle indeed, so much so that I need to use ebonics to express how good it was. The company also produces saffron, wasabi, lemongrass, truffle and bourbon-flavoured whitefish roe, if those flavours are more up your alley.

Of course, most of our readers don't live in the States, and the California Caviar Company doesn't ship international. There is instead this other high-end interpretation of the classic breakfast staple: from the pages of Bachelor's Banquet come this bacon and egg risotto, with photo and recipe available at this blog or after the cut. It's making me hungry just to look at it, so I must leave you now with that in order to go scrounge up some calories.



BACON & EGG RISOTTO (serves 2)
Familiar themes make for some of the most satisfying meals. Bacon and eggs are breakfast standards, our risotto takes those themes and reintroduces them with a twist, using egg yolks in place of more conventional cheeses to bring out extra creaminess.

Ingredients
4 slices double smoked bacon
2 cups arborio rice
3 cups chicken stock (page 186), simmering
2 tablespoons celery, grated
2 tablespoons white onions, grated
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Garnish
Fleur de sel
Pepper to taste
Truffle oil

Procedure
1) In a large heavy saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat, add grated celery and onions and cook gently for 30 seconds stirring occasionally.
2) Add arborio rice and continue to stir until each grain of rice becomes translucent and coated with oil.
3) Slowly add 1 ladle of stock and stir until the stock evaporates. Repeat this step for about 15 minutes until the risotto is thick, then remove from the heat and allow to cool for 1 minute.
4) In a small bowl break the egg yolk and whisk gently, slowly pour the egg into the risotto while off the heat, stirring constantly until both the egg and risotto are integrated.
5) In a separate frying-pan, sear the pieces of double smoked bacon until dark brown and crispy.

To assemble
1) Divide the risotto into 2 long plates and insert the bacon strips directly into the center of the risotto.
2) To finish drizzle with truffle oil and garnish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel if desired.

Opening image courtesy of bacontoday.com