Bacon Relish

Katie Cannon / Heavy Table
Katie Cannon / Heavy Table

While not the first bacon condiment to be created (Baconnaise surely holds that title), bacon relish is sure to be a contender for tastiest. Start with crisp bacon and add the sweetness of onion and tanginess of vinegar to create an intensified version of what some consider to be the perfect food.

Try it on a fried egg sandwich, burger, or grilled pork tenderloin. Or, as the Heavy Table did, try it with honey BBQ shrimp served with a spicy, grilled corn salad.

Bacon Relish
makes ½ cup

4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1 c onion, diced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp low sodium chicken broth
 salt

Crisp bacon in skillet, then remove and drain on paper towels. Discard all but 1 tbsp bacon grease in pan then add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add white wine vinegar, chicken broth, and bacon; cook until liquid has evaporated. Salt according to taste.

Honey-BBQ Shrimp with Grilled Corn Salad and Bacon Relish
serves 2 as main dishes

Grilled Corn Salad
2 ears corn, husks and silks removed
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ c  green onions, white parts only, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
salt and pepper

Brush corn with olive oil and grill until tender and lightly charred. Let cool, then cut kernels from the cob. Combine corn and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.

Honey-BBQ Shrimp
¼ c ketchup
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
½ lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and pepper

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in small saucepan and heat over low until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
2. Thread skewers* with shrimp. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
*If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 10 minutes prior to using.
3. Grill shrimp over medium-high heat, 3 minutes per side. Baste with BBQ sauce twice during cooking.

To assemble dish
Dish corn salad onto plate. Top with shrimp and then bacon relish.

3 Comments

  1. Teresa M

    Ooooh, that sounds so good! I’m gonna try it with some of the shrimp I have in the freezer from the Fabian shrimp truck. Thanks for posting!

Comments are closed.