The French us a different type of bacon than what Americans refer to as bacon; this is fine but some dishes need to use a lard de poitrine frais which is fresh, unsalted and un-smoked bacon. Lard de Poitrine Frais is needed to avoid a smoky taste which is un-desirable in many dishes.
Examples would be Quiche Lorraine which is a classic preparation of eggs, cream and bacon and baked in a pate brisee and Beef Bourguignon a beef stew; neither of these dishes are enhanced or depend upon the smoky qualities of US bacon. While Americans have come to expect bacon to have a smoky taste, un-smoked bacon imparts a delicious flavor to a dish on its own.
As Lard de Poitrine Frais is not usually available in the US an approximation is to blanch readily available bacon to rid it of the smoky, salty flavors.
If you are able to find un-sliced pork belly you are well on your way to having French style bacon for a variety of uses. If you are able to find un-sliced, un-smoked pork belly you will have found a larding fat similar to French bacon.
Blanched Bacon Ingredients
- 8 ounces thick cut Bacon
- 2 quarts cold Water
Method
Place bacon in a pan of cold water; bring to a simmer over a low heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in fresh, cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.
The bacon is now ready to use any any recipe calling for Lard de Poitrine Frais. The bacon can be fried or cutup and used in a recipe calling for raw bacon.
