This recipe is certainly a party food….there is nothing about it that’s good for you, especially when you pair it with cheese. But oh my, it is incredible! It’s salty and sweet and tangy. Amazing.
I cannot take credit for the recipe or the picture. My friend had us over during the holidays and served this bacon marmalade along with several cheeses and breads at a make-your-own panini bar. I hear somebody even ate some of the bacon marmalade with a spoon. I don’t know who would do such a thing…
This is also the only recipe I’ve ever seen using sorghum. You can buy sorghum at natural food stores, or in the south, at any roadside stand. Or you can substitute molasses if you’re a Yankee (said in my best Blanche Devereaux impression).
Bacon Marmalade (from Southern Living)
1/2 a package of bacon, hickory smoked and thick cut, diced
1 cup sorghum syrup
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
Cook diced bacon in a pan over medium high heat for about 4 minutes, or until dark and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Return bacon to pan and add sorghum, and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add vinegar and cook for about 8 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add broth and bay leaf, cook for 5 minutes. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper. Cool and serve with brie or cream cheese on a toasted baguette, on a panini with cheese, in a salad with crispy iceberg and blue cheese, or even spooned over ice cream.
