By Kipp Rix
My wife found the basic recipe for candied bacon; she brought it to me and requested that I give it a Fire House Cuisine tune-up. This is my version, and I hope you enjoy it. The sauce for this dish is another recipe that I prepare at home and then bring to the station to cook with. I use the sauce for two different dishes (the second will be highlighted below) and, as such, I make a large batch, place it in a mason jar, and keep it in the refrigerator. This is a relatively easy dish to prepare, and the sauce adds a complex flavor to the fish.
Ingredients (Serves 4):
Sauce:
1 bottle of your favorite beer (I like a malty beer like Guinness Blonde)
¾ cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon roasted garlic seasoning
4 large Cod filets
Vegetable blend of your choice
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Directions:
Start by making the sauce, as it does need some time to boil and reduce so that it can thicken. Pour the bottle of beer into a sauce pan and add the brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Turn the heat to medium, and stir constantly to dissolve the sugar into the beer and to keep the sugar from burning to the bottom of the pan. Once the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture, stirring often until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool and thicken some.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place the vegetable blend into an oven-safe pot. Lightly salt and pepper the cod and place on top of the vegetables; with a basting brush, coat the cod with the sauce. Place the pot with a tight-fitting lid in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pot and once again coat the cod with the basting sauce and return to the oven and continue to cook until the vegetables are hot and the cod is steamed and cooked through. Plate the cod and vegetables, giving the cod one last light coating of the sauce.
My second use for the sauce is to make delectable candied bacon that is the perfect snack with a chilled brew and makes the best BLTA (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado) sandwich ever. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Place a wire rack inside a deep baking pan; this will allow the bacon to render off the fat as it cooks, allowing it to crisp up. Place thick-cut strips of great-quality bacon on the wire rack; dust the bacon lightly with chile powder. Cook the bacon in the oven for 10 minutes, remove, and baste the bacon with the sweet beer sauce. Return to the oven and cook for another 10 minutes; baste the bacon again and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the bacon is fully crisp. Remove from the oven and allow bacon to cool slightly. Then enjoy!
Kipp Rix has been in the fire service for 19 years working as both a career and volunteer fire fighter in New Mexico. Kipp started cooking at the age of 10 and learned his early skills watching shows like the Galloping Gourmet and Julia Child. Throughout the years, Kipp refined his skills with a focus on grilling foods with a southwestern flair. In 2009 Fire House Publications, LLC released the first of Kipp’s two cook books with the second book released in 2011; a portion of the proceeds from the books helps fund Fire Kids. Kipp’s philosophy of fire house cooking is “Just because you work in a busy house does not mean that you have to settle for ordinary cooking, a crew’s attitude is directly related to the meals served!” Each of Kipp’s recipes has been Fire House tested and approved. Please email krix@fhpllc.net with a crew picture enjoying this recipe along with your review; each month one entry will be selected to receive a signed copy of one of my cook books. In 2013 Kipp founded Fire Kids, an organization that works with New Mexico children’s agencies and other organizations like the Make A Wish Foundation, of New Mexico to identify children facing a life altering or terminal illness; working with local municipal agencies and fire departments Fire Kids affords these children an opportunity to live the life of a fire fighter for a day. Complete information can be found on our Fire Kids web page.
