BACON, COFFEE and FRIED ONIONS.

Maple and Coffee glazed bacon, brined mustard seed, deep fried onions, coffee & maple reduction, bourbon foam, pea greens, micro stevia leaves and coffee grounds.

As stated in my profile along with others my backyard gives me my inspirations for playing with food and none more so than my small coffee plantation. I have a passion for post harvest processing and the coffee I would have to say brings about the most tedious and time consuming processing of them all. In our household the whole family gets involved and it starts around may (end of autumn) and continues on all through winter ,through to the roasting in spring. It involves the picking of the perfectly ripened fruit, removing the flesh from the cherries, a fermentation process follows and then the drying of the beans. Once dried they must be shelled and a further drying to be finally removed of the paper thin parchment membranes, leaving the small dry green beans ready for roasting. With all this in mind , there is nothing like drinking  your own organically grown, hand harvested, processed and roasted coffee.

So this here is the first of my coffee inspired breakfasts using the food pairing charts for coffee and bacon I came up with this little taster. First off the bacon was cut to serving size and pan fried in butter glazing with a reduction made of strongly brewed coffee and maple syrup. To make the brined mustard seed I simply brought equal parts of rice wine vinegar and water with mustard seeds, some sugar and salt to the boil and reduce to a simmer allowing enough time for the seeds to soften (about 30-40 mins.). I then strained them off and allowed them to cool. The onions were roughly chopped and deep fried until golden, set aside on kitchen towel to drain excess oil.

To plate I used some of the reduction set aside and brushed a stroke on to the plate placing the bacon on top. I then spooned some mustard seed to accompany and scattered the fried onions. To finish I made a foam by mixing greek yoghurt, some chilled brewed coffee and a little homestyle bourbon giving to us as a gift with a teaspoon of soy lecithin to stabilise the foam using a stick blender. Spooning the foam in dabs I then sprinkled with coffee grounds and garnished with some backyard pea greens and micro stevia leaves.