Bar BQ Grills

yields 12 servings


Bacon Praline:
2 cups raw diced bacon (to yield 1 cup crispy rendered bacon)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter

Bourbon Apple Butter:
5 fuji apples, cored and sliced, skin on
5 gala apples, cored and sliced, skin on
3 tablespoons butter + 3 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, sliced
1 vanilla bean, scraped
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup sugar

Acorn Squash Jam:
1 acorn squash, peeled and small diced
2 apples (fuji or gala), peeled and small diced
¼ lb butter (or equivalent bacon grease)
3 shallots, small diced
1 cup sugar
2 cups diced bacon

Caramel Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup butter

Corn-Camembert Ice Cream:
2 cups corn, scraped and reserve cobs (or substitute frozen or canned cream corn)
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 cup sugar
½ lb camembert cheese
8 eggs

Maple Cardamom Syrup:
2 cups maple syrup
¼ teaspoon cardamom pods

Waffles:
1 package waffle mix
1 vanilla bean, scraped
bacon grease

For the Bacon Praline: Slowly render diced bacon until very crispy. Drain bacon grease and reserve for waffles. Heat sugar in a saucepan until it melts. When it becomes a caramel color, be careful not to let it burn and mix in bacon. Add butter and mix until melted. Pour mixture out onto silicone pad and allow to cool until hard. Crack into smaller pieces and process in food processor. Keep airtight at cool room temperature.

For the Bourbon Apple Butter: Melt 3 tablespoons butter and sweat shallots and vanilla. Pour in bourbon and flame. Stir in apples and sugar and cover until soft. Slowly simmer uncovered until all liquid has evaporated. Pass through a food mill. Return mixture to a smaller pot and simmer until fairly thick. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Cover and cool.

For the Acorn Squash Jam: Melt butter and sweat shallots. Add squash and apples and cover. When soft, add sugar and cook down slowly. In a separate pan, render bacon until crispy. Drain and reserve bacon grease. When squash is cooked down to fairly thick consistency, add bacon. Continue to simmer until jam consistency.

For the Caramel Sauce: Heat sugar. In a separate pan, heat cream and butter. When sugar is melted and almost burnt, whisk in cream/butter mixture. Cook for 5 more minutes at a simmer.

For the Corn-Camembert Ice Cream: Scrape corn off the cob and put into saucepot with milk, sugar, and vanilla bean. Bring mixture to a simmer with cobs in the pot. Remove from heat and let mixture steep for 1 hour after removing cobs. Crack eggs and lightly whisk. Reheat corn-milk mixture and temper into eggs. Cook over a double boiler until slightly thickened. Add cheese and blend mixture until very smooth. Push through a fine mesh strainer. Cool custard before spinning in ice cream machine.

For the Maple Cardamom Syrup: Heat syrup with cardamom pods and steep until aromatic. Strain.

For the Waffles: Make waffles according to package using bacon grease instead of oil.

To Plate: Brush caramel sauce onto plate. Place waffle on sauce. Pour maple cardamom syrup over the waffle. Make a quenelle of bourbon apple butter and arrange next to waffle. Scoop corn-camembert ice cream on top of waffle. Put some acorn squash jam next to ice cream. Sprinkle with bacon praline. Shake confectioner's sugar on top. Garnish with a pinch of smoked sea salt.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef Lynne Gigliotti, Top Chef Season 7, Episode 1, Elimination Challenge, Bravo-TV