Yesterday one of my friends was having a little dinner party at her house, so I made one of my favorite hors d’oeuvres to bring, plus something new that I’d never made before – chocolate-covered bacon. I’d tried it for the first time on my birthday and really liked it, and I thought it would be something fun and unique to take to a party. I’d say it was a hit! People really got a kick out of it, and most everyone seemed to like the sweet-and-salty combination.
For the tempering of the chocolate, I basically followed the directions from the chocolate issue of Food Network Magazine, and I just kinda “winged” the rest of it, but it turned out pretty good. Here’s how to make it:
Open a package of thick-cut bacon and thread each strip on a small bamboo skewer. Cover a jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil, and place a metal rack on top of it. Lay out the bacon skewers on the rack, and bake at 400° F for 20-25 minutes or until crisp. Let cool completely.
Finely chop 8 oz. semisweet chocolate. Combine three-quarters of the chocolate plus 1 teaspoon shortening in a microwaveable bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then continue to microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the temperature is 100°. Remove the bowl and place it in a larger bowl of cold water; stir in the remaining chocolate until melted (the temperature should drop to about 82°). Remove the bowl from the water and microwave in 10-second intervals until chocolate is at 90°.
Use a spoon to cover the bacon in chocolate and let set a room temperature. Rewarm chocolate to 90° if it cools and become too thick for dipping. Store bacon in refrigerator.
{I wish I’d gotten some better quality photos of the finished product, but I only had time to snap one quick picture before heading to the party.}
Enjoy!