Bacon Buttercrunch Recipes

THE GREAT BRITISH BACON BUTTY - BACON SANDWICH

Steps:

• Cook the bacon under a preheated oven grill for seven minutes at about 240C/475F - turning half way through the cooking time.
• Cook until crispy, but not burnt or too dry.
• (You can also fry the bacon in a pan if you wish).
• Butter the two slices of bread and place the grilled or fried bacon inside the two slices of bread to make a sandwich.
• Add sauces to taste.
• Enjoy!
• The bread can also be toasted if you wish! And, you can make this sandwich with a crusty bread roll.
• The Scientist's Formula:.
• Four researchers at the Department of Food Science at Leeds University in the UK spent more than 1,000 hours testing 700 variations on the traditional bacon sandwich.
• They tried different types and cuts of bacon, cooking techniques, types of oil and a range of cooking times at different temperatures.
• A shortlist was then tested with computers to measure the texture of each sandwich.
• Fifty volunteers also judged each sandwich according to its taste, texture and flavour.
• The formula is: N = C + {fb (cm) . fb (tc)} + fb (Ts) + fc . ta, where N=force in Newtons required to break the cooked bacon, fb=function of the bacon type, fc=function of the condiment/filling effect, Ts=serving temperature, tc=cooking time, ta=time or duration of application of condiment/filling, cm=cooking method, C=Newtons required to break uncooked bacon.

BACON BUTTERCRUNCH

Steps:

• Carefully pour the bacon fat into a heatproof measuring cup, and add enough melted butter to make 1 1/2 cups. Set aside.
• Generously butter a 13-by-18-inch baking sheet and set it aside on a heatproof surface.
• Combine the bacon fat mixture with the sugar, vanilla, salt and water in a medium-size saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Insert a candy thermometer and continue to cook, stirring constantly with a whisk until it reaches 300 degrees (hard crack stage), 18 to 20 minutes.
• Wearing your oven mitts, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the crumbled bacon. Carefully pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and use a heatproof spatula to spread it evenly. Cool the buttercrunch completely, at least 1 hour, then break it into bite-size pieces. Store the bacon buttercrunch, layered with parchment or wax paper, in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 1 week.