Adapted from Martha Stewart Living (September 2009)
Orange-and-honey-glazed bacon. Just think about that for a minute. Orange. Honey. Bacon. A salty slab of bacon coated with a caramelized, sweet glaze of honey, brightened with the citrusy, sunshiney bolt of fresh-squeezed oranges.
We were salivating at the mere thought of this three-ingredient dish.
But when we made it, our salivation gave way to frustration.
The first batch of bacon ended up charred, smoky and burnt to a crisp. So -- believing in the healing power of cured pork -- we changed the recipe and tried again.
This is a tale of two bacons.
The original recipe from Martha Stewart Living calls for cooking the bacon at 400 degrees directly on a baking sheet for two 10 minute intervals, with glaze applied prior to, during and after baking.
We followed the instructions to the letter. After the first 10 minutes, we knew something was awry. The glaze and bacon were definitely burning. We wanted to apply a second coating of glaze, so we did, and cooked the bacon for three minutes more, rather than the full 10 suggested by the recipe.
These 13 minutes in the oven -- far less than what was instructed -- turned our bacon into what you see below:
So it was time for a do-over. For our second go at this recipe, we lowered the oven temperature to 350 degrees and placed the bacon strips on a baker's rack resting on top of a rimmed cookie sheet. We figured lifting the bacon off the flat surface of the cookie sheet would help prevent burning.
Using the baker's rack and the lower temperature, we cooked the bacon for 15 minutes, checking it every few minutes and glazing it a couple times during the process.
This time, our salivation became salvation! The bacon was saved! Breakfast was saved!
The honey-orange glaze gives the bacon an eye-popping, lip-smacking flavor. It's a fantastic twist that makes bacon really special. And (assuming you get the temperature right) it's a very easy preparation. We've served brown-sugared bacon as a brunch appetizer a few times in the past -- we'll definitely make this the next time we have some folks over for brunch.
We're not quite sure how the Martha Stewart Living recipe could steer us so wrong. Clearly, 400 degrees is way too hot (at least in our oven) for this bacon. Below is our adapted version of her recipe. Our advice to you? Go with the lower temperature and keep an eye on your bacon.
Bacon with Citrus Glaze
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living (September 2009)
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Prep Time: 8 Minutes
Total Time: Minutes
Serves 4
8 slices bacon
2 naval oranges
1 tablespoon honey
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay bacon on wire racks on a baking sheet. Juice oranges into a small saucepan, add honey. Cook over medium heat until glaze is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes.
2. Brush some glaze over the bacon, and bake for 5 minutes. Brush with more glaze. Continue to bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes more. Brush bacon with remaining glaze, and transfer to a parchment- or paper-towel-lined plate to drain before serving.
