I first had praline bacon when I lived in New Orleans at an awesome restaurant right down the street from me in the Bywater called Elizabeth’s. This place is the bomb dot com, and if you are EVER in New Orleans you MUST go there. They even have a PRALINE BACON BURGER! Hmm… is it worth hopping in my car and driving 22 hours to eat there right now? Maybe not this time. But let me tell you, it’s tempting. Pralines are a rich, decadent treat made from sugar, nuts (usually pecans), and milk or cream. The result is a super sweet candy-like cookie-ish treat that is also like fudge. It’s a bit hard to explain. Suffice it to say: they are delicious. This recipe takes the praline’s sugar and nuts and puts it on BACON. I don’t know why, but I feel the need to capitalize the word bacon every time I write it. Probably because I am so excited when bacon + sugar get together! It’s the perfect (and impressive) side to pair with an otherwise savory brunch, such as alongside eggs benedict or a quiche. OK here’s how this works. First of all, you must bake the bacon. Have you ever baked bacon before? Oh boy, you are in for a treat.
Baked bacon is super crispy and tasty. The fat renders off and drips down into the baking pan, so the bacon isn’t as greasy as frying it. It also cooks extremely evenly to a crisp perfection. To make the praline bacon, line the bacon on the rack and line the baking sheet with foil (so no mess to clean up!). Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. It won’t be quite cooked at this point, and it will have shrunken considerably. Then, brush with maple syrup and sprinkle with a mixture of brown sugar and nuts (I forgot to buy pecans, so I used almonds), and bake for 10-15 additional minutes. The result? AMAZING.
But, wait! Isn’t this blog about real, unprocessed food? Why are you using brown sugar? Well, because praline bacon is one of those treats that you simply must treat yourself to. You simply cannot live a fulfilled life without tasting this decadent treat. So go ahead and make it. Everything in moderation, folks :-)
