GORDON RAMSAY RECIPES

This grilled salmon with warm bacon and corn relish is
another installment in our long-running series, “Salmon Recipes for People
Tired of Salmon Recipes.” No one eats as much salmon as I do, and so I’m always
on the lookout for new ways to make it seem a tad more exciting.

In the business, this is known as “elevating” it, and as you
may already know, nothing elevates like bacon. It’s the helium of smoked meats.
Combine that bacon with sweet, almost raw corn, and you have a relish worthy of its verb. I mean, if your not going to relish your relish, what’s the point?

I mention in the video that I like the taste and texture of
white corn, but prefer the sunnier appearance of yellow corn. That trade-off is
always an interesting discussion, with some saying taste always trumps looks,
while others will insist that the appearance effects how the flavor is
perceived, so even if slightly less sweet, the golden colored one may be
enjoyed more.

Like most food-related arguments, both sides are right and
wrong, and I tend to oscillate between the two schools, although when in doubt,
I’ll generally lean toward taste. Anyway, no matter which color corn you use,
you’re sure to enjoy this new, and hopefully slightly more exciting way to
serve salmon. Give it a try soon, and enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 Portions:

2 center-cut, boneless salmon filets (8-oz)

salt and pepper to taste

For the relish:

corn kernels from 2 ears of sweet corn, plus any juices

6 stripes bacon, sliced

1/4 cup green onions, white and light parts (reserve green
for garnish)

1/4 cup diced red pepper

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

2 tsp olive oil (optional depending on how much bacon fat
you had)

1 or 2 tbsp rice vinegar (or other vinegar, or acid like
lemon, lime, etc)

*I didn’t have any in the garden, but a little fresh tarragon
is great in this too.

At the end of the video, I joke that if this bacon jam were the only thing you served at your Super Bowl party, people would still leave raving about the food. That wasn’t a joke. Such is the profound deliciousness of this magical, spreadable bacon.

I’ll have to admit that the first time I heard about bacon jam, it didn’t strike me as a very good idea. I loved the part about frying tons of bacon crispy, but then you want me to add it to a bunch of wet onions? Why would I do that? As usual, I was wrong. Despite losing its crispiness, the intense caramelized bacon flavor, and sweet/tart/peppery punch of this “jam,” more than make up for it.

While I’m officially posting this as another Super Bowl snack idea, its potential uses go way past the big game. One taste and the mind reels with possibilities. While impressive served simply on a chip or crisp, this stuff will turn a grilled cheese sandwich into something beyond our world…and don’t even get me started on the hamburger applications.

Such pleasure does not come without its price, however. This takes some time to make, and there is expert-level stirring involved, but what a small price when you consider the final results. Whether you do this for your Super Bowl party, or other festive occasion, I hope you give this amazing bacon jam a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 1/2 cups of Bacon Jam:

1 1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp, chopped fine

2 tsp butter

2 tsp reserved bacon fat

4 large yellow onions (about 3 pounds), diced

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1 1/2 tsp fresh picked thyme leaves, divided (1 tsp cooked in, 1/2 tsp at the end)

1 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of cayenne

1/2 cups water

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Gordon Ramsay Recipes

Tag: bacon fat

Grilled Salmon with Warm Bacon and Corn Relish – It’s a Noun and a Verb

Bacon Jam – Take That, Fruit!