Bacon jam with chili and prunes

Name: Bacon jam with chili and prunes
Ingredients: 150 g organic smoked bacon; 1 shallot, finely chopped; 2 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp dark syrup; ¼ habanero chili; 1 dl dark rum; 1 tsp oil; 20 prunes, coarsely chopped; 3 tbsp apple vinegar; salt; pepper; liquid smoke (optional, available in specialty stores and on the web)

Our bacon jam with chili and prunes proves that the unexpected is the obvious choice for when ordinary comes short. Sweet and savoury laced with spicy notes of unrelenting chilli, this unique take on classic jam swings for the fences. Expect the unexpected.

1 serving

Smoky Sweet

ingredients

150 g organic smoked bacon
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp dark syrup
¼ habanero chili
1 dl dark rum
1 tsp oil
20 prunes, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp apple vinegar
salt
pepper
liquid smoke (optional, available in specialty stores and on the web)

preparation

1. Start by cutting the bacon into cubes and frying the cubes in a pan with a little oil over medium heat until most of the fat has rendered and the bacon is lightly browned.

2. Remove the bacon from the pan and lay on an absorbent paper towel. Remove and discard all but 1 teaspoon of the fat in the pan.

3. Add the shallots to the pan with the remaining bacon fat. Saute the shallot until it is soft and sweet, which takes about 5-8 minutes.

4. Once the shallots are soft, add the bacon back to the pan along with the honey through oil and reduce the heat to low.

5. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, then blend everything coarsely with a hand mixer or blender.

6. Return the mixture to the heat and add the chopped prunes. Let it simmer on low heat until the mixture has become thick and sticky. It will take about 20 minutes. Taste and possibly add more chili along the way, depending on your preferences.

7. Once done, remove from the heat and finish the jam by adding the vinegar, and salt, pepper and liquid smoke to taste.

8. Serve warm or cold with a good cheese and bread.

tips & tricks

The bacon jam’s taste should be a mixture of salty, smoky, sweet and sour. If the smoky flavor is understated, you can add liquid smoke, but it can easily be omitted.