International Bacon Day: Quirkiest dishes across Mumbai where bacon is the star

There are many sides or accompaniments that receive maindish attention Bacon the saltcured pork portion prepared from various cuts of the pig typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back is one such star ingredient Muchloved with eggs for breakfast it is eaten as is and also crumbled and added to dishes to add a smoky crunchy textureBacon strips with eggs and toast right bacon jamOn International Bacon Day August 31 a few bacon heads were summoned to rekindle the love affair Earlier this month Sahil Makhija shared a gajar halwa recipe on his Instagram handle headbangerskitchen The only catch here was that it was a bacon gajar halwa He followed the desi drill mdash of milk mawa grated shreds of carrots and sugar ldquoI cooked it the halwa in bacon fat and garnished it with crisp pieces of bacon for texturerdquo the Kharresident shares The dish was part of his ongoing food series Will It Meat where he gives a meaty touch to Indian dishes He shares two tips When cooking bacon always start in a cold pan and slowly bring up the heat allowing the bacon fat to render Use the fat to fry your eggs and make your veggies such as a bhindi aloo sabziSundried tomatoes and bacon risotto PicShadab KhanIn a home kitchen on Forjett Street chef Delzad Avari runs Delrsquoz Kitchen his bacon menu includes bacon mash double whammy bacon and tenderloin grilled cheese and spicy bacon prawns and topseller umami mushroom stuffed bacon wrapped tenderloin The mushrooms are flavoured with miso and mushroom powder together to give that umami kick ldquoBacon goes great with almost everything I love wrapping stuff in it using it as a starter for any stew render the bacon and start off the stew in its delicious fat or in a bacon and egg fried rice where the fat imparts great flavour I enjoy using bacon fat in preparing cocktails at homerdquo says Avari sharing that his favourite combination is bacon dipped in dark chocolateBacon wrapped mushroom and stuffed tenderloin with bacon rosemary gravy made by Delzad AvariBandrarsquos Larissa Valladares and Joshua Pereira started Incendiary Kitchen as a home setup in the lockdown with one product Bacon cured with salt sugar and spices ldquoWe cure it for seven days depending on the size of the belly We rub it with spices smoke it and slice itrdquo reveals Valladares They gradually added more meatforward dishes to the menu including a meatloaf with bacon ldquoFor regular orders we have two forms of bacon frozen and vacuumsealed pieces of bacon and lardons which are bacon cubes People can pop it out of the freezer and fry itrdquo she adds Their top bacon dishes include liver pate with bacon French coq au vin stew with chicken and bacon braised in wine meat feast macaroni bake and Boston baked beansJoshua Pereira and Larissa ValladaresSundried tomato and bacon risottoStreaky bacon is cut into chunks and sauteacuteed until the fat renders providing a rich base for the dish ldquoIn the bacon fat we sauteacute onions garlic sundried tomatoes and Arborio rice The risotto is then simmered in a creamy tomato sauce finished with a burrata on top garnished with a crispy bacon crumblerdquo chef Beena Noronha of GiGi explains She shares that bacon paired with pineapple brings out sweet and salty flavoursAT GiGi Bombay 14th and 33rd Road Linking Road Bandra WestCOST Rs 900Bacon thechaNomad Food Project makes a mean green and red bacon thecha The dish stems from an intense love towards bacon and pork for founders Aditya Rai and Advaith Inamke ldquoThe thecha is inspired from my time spent in Maharashtra during college and work life The garlic pairs well with smoky bacon fat The chillies help cut through it It can make the most boring meals more interesting be it daal rice roti sabji rolls pastas and instant noodlesrdquo says InamkeLOG ON TO nomadfoodprojectcomCOST Rs 350 to Rs 400Bacon and bone marrow alambreThis Bandra eatery serves bacon with bone marrow in a Mexicanstyle alambre grilled on a plancha The dish is made of Yucatanstyle pork a fivecheese house blend and chimichurriAT Pompa VN Sphere Mall Linking Road Bandra WestCOST Rs 775Bacon wrapped prawnsHarpreet Singh Bhatti head chef uses a robatayaki a charcoal grill to smoke BBQ flavours in order to add depth to the dish which he calls a true bacon loverrsquos dreamAT Waikiki Peninsula Grand Hotel Andheri EastCOST Rs 650Also check outIncendiary Kitchen At 18 Rebello Road Ranwar Bandra WestCALL 9619633881