Better with Bacon – Warm Bacon Dressing

As gardens are starting to bear fruit, one might want to enjoy a cold, crisp salad on a warm summer night!  Alas even I, your bacon boy, do enjoy a nice salad every once in a while.

photo via Sarah Nett - My Culinary Sanctuary

When living in Peoria, there was a restaurant, VOP’s (Vonachen’s Old Place), that my bosses father used to own.  We’d go there for the occassional business lunch and that is where I had a Spinach Salad for the first time.  The nice thing about a good Spinach Salad is that it usually features both crumbled bacon AND if lucky a warm bacon dressing.

Those memories came back to me today when I found this recipe:

Warm Bacon Dressing

• 6 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 2 c water
• 1/2 c honey
• 1/2 red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• S & P to taste

In a large frying pan or sauce pan, fry bacon until crispy. Drain bacon on paper towel.  Keep 4 tablespoons of the drippings in the pan.

Add sliced shallot and let caramelize.

While bacon is frying you can prepare the other ingredients for the dressing.

In a medium bowl whisk together the water, honey and vinegar.  Add the cornstarch and whisk until the cornstarch dissolves.

Add mixture to the shallots, add the bacon and whisk together in pan. Let heat to almost boiling while whisking intermittently.  You will notice it start to thicken. Once thick, take off the heat and salt and pepper to taste.

Let it cool down a bit before adding to greens.  Enjoy!

[Recipe from My Culinary Sanctuary]

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