Bacon-wrapped Dates - My darling little cocoons

Taken on the iPhone 

Medjool dates wrapped in Danish bacon streaks - an appetiser we ate in Germany and I said I would be making soon. Well, I tried it for the first time this morning and here's how they look - my darling little cocoons. I served it as a breakfast item for 15 hungry ironmen as part of my annual power breakfast birthday treat for my husband and his Crazy2Tri buddies (yes, they have a name for their group, a blog and their own branded jerseys!).

Well, this dish turned out to be the highlight at the breakfast table and it finished in no time. I have my dear friend Sandy to thank for teaching me to make this. It is so easy to make and the results so rewarding - you have to try it. I am going to do this for my family reunion dinner this Chinese New Year.

Ingredients:
One date for each bacon streak - that's all!
No salt, no pepper, no oil, nothing else.

Portion: 
3-4 dates for each guest

Method:
1. Remove seeds from dates while pre-heating oven to 180C
2. Wrap each date with one bacon streak
3. Place on baking tray or use aluminium foil to minimise cleaning up
4. Bake for about 10 minutes or until fat is rendered or when bacon is of your preferred texture. I baked for 15 and they were fine.

Does this remind you of something I blogged about called Barding? It's worth checking out if you want to feel like a professional chef!

Enjoy!

Home-cured Smoked Salmon (aka Gravlax) Part I

How I have salivated over the chance to do a home-cured smoked salmon or gravlax as some people know it to be. After researching much on the internet, my initial excitement turned to one of confusion by the sure load of good information mixed with utter rubbish on the net. I had to learn to filter what makes sense to me before I got overwhelmed and give up before I even attempted.

Still, all that is behind me now and I managed to do this today. See if this helps you, eager beaver.

Ingredients
Very fresh and of the highest grade Salmon
Atlantic Sea Salt
Brown Sugar or White Sugar
Fresh Dill, chopped
2 Tbsp Hard Cognac or Vodka

Method
Mix salt, sugar and chopped dill. Proportion of salt and sugar is 1:1. Mix enough to cover the fish.
Sandwich the fish between 2 layers of the mixture.
Pour liquour over the fish.
Cling wrap tightly and store in fridge for 2-3 days.
Place something heavy on the fish to extract maximum water.
After 2-3 days, remove fish from fridge. There should be water seeping out and cling-wrap is soggy.
Rinse fish under running water, otherwise it will be way too salty to serve. The fish should feel hard and rubbery.
Slice very thinly and serve on a good cracker with cream cheese and fresh dill.

See Smoked Salmon Part II and Part III.

Read my research on Wild Salmon vs Farmed Salmon.