This past weekend we had the 7th annual Baconfest at church. As always, it is a well-attended celebration of our new-covenant culinary liberties (Acts 10). And in true ecclesiastical fashion, this event is not just a potluck, but it is an all-out, no holds barred version of Chopped where each dish is required to include as one of its ingredients… you guessed it… Bacon!
This year we as a family entered as the defending champions. Last year we brought home the coveted golden pig trophy (which bears no resemblance to Aarons golden calf) with a mouthwatering entry of bacon falafels. In order to be competitive, we had to top that!
Baconfest entries can be tricky. Too much bacon and your dish is overpowered. Too little and you may as well have not even put any in. Additionally, you are competing against dozens of other dishes each trying to catch the eye and fire up the taste buds. As a victory by popular vote, you need to somehow make you dish jump off the table and get enough people to cast their vote for it.
This year, in order to get my entry to stand out from every other salad, casserole and baked dish, I decided to continue our trek around the world - moving from the Middle East to the Indian subcontinent where flavors are bold and the aroma of spice demands attention. To find a dish that was both unique but also accessible to any palate, I chose Bacon Paneer Tikka Masala.
For the contest itself, I was joined in entering by two of my sons. One entered in the main dish category making a savory Smoked Bacon Queso Blanco. My other son pulled out a family favorite desert making a Bacon Bûche de Noël.
The competition was intense. There were a number of good dishes. The dessert section in particular boasted a number of amazing entries. Thanks to a strong preparatory social media campaign, careful dish selection, meticulous recipe testing, I am proud to say that not only did we bring home the best overall dessert but we also managed to secure the golden pig for yet another year!
In all sincerity… Thank you to everyone who participated this year. It was really fun going over the top with the planning and preparation. The food was great and the fellowship greater! We are looking forward to next year.
And for those who want the recipe to the Bacon Paneer Tikka Masala, here it is. This recipe was adapted from Swasthi Shreekanth on Indianhealthyrecipes.com. It is pretty much copied off their website, but I have made some tweaks to the language where I changed things or adjusted the way I made the dish. Enjoy!
Bacon Paneer Tikka Masala
Bacon with Marinade:
2 lbs bacon
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1-2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons kasuri methi
2 Tablespoons garlic ginger paste
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Cut uncooked bacon in small pieces and put in gallon sized ziplock bag.
In a separate bowl mix together remainder of marinade ingredients. Stir well.
Mix marinade with uncooked bacon and allow to blend for approximately 8 hours
Cook bacon on griddle and set aside.
Tikka Masala Sauce:
6 Tablespoons Ghee
3 cups chopped onions
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons garlic ginger paste
1-2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust for level of spiciness)
4 teaspoons of garam masala
2 Tablespoons of coriander powder
2 teaspoons of cumin powder
2 teaspoons of sugar
2 ½ lbs of fresh tomatoes
2 cups hot water
2 Tablespoons kasuri methi
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Cubed Paneer Cheese - quantity to taste
Quarter the tomatoes and blend in a blender to pureed consistency and set aside.
Cube the paneer cheese into approximately 3/4" cubes. Set aside.
Heat the ghee in a large saucepan. Add onions and salt and sauté until cooked.
Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for about 1 minute until aromatic.
Add chili powder, garam masala, coriander and cumin stirring well.
Add pureed tomatoes and stir.
As the mixture simmers, blend again in the blender to puree the onions with the tomato mixture.
Simmer on medium heat until the tomato masala mixture thickens into a paste. Add hot water and simmer until it is the desired, sauce consistency.When the masala has reached the desired thickness, add sugar and heavy whipping cream, stirring well.
Add the cooked bacon and cubed paneer cheese.
Serve over basmati rice.
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