Mary Berry, renowned culinary expert, has revealed her top tips for cooking bacon to achieve perfect crispiness every time. Her advice centers around a simple yet effective trick involving the choice of oil. This method promises to elevate your bacon game, making it an ideal choice for breakfast or as a delightful snack.
Mastering the Art of Crispy Bacon
Mary Berry emphasizes the benefits of pan-frying bacon. This classic method allows the meat to develop a savory crunch. From her cookbook, *Mary Berry Everyday*, she shares a straightforward recipe that pairs crispy bacon with potato rosti and fried eggs.
Ingredients Needed
- Two rashers of smoked back bacon
- Sunflower oil for frying
- One small white onion
- 500g floury potatoes
- Two free-range eggs
Cooking Instructions
To start, prepare the bacon. Depending on your preference, you can chop the rashers into smaller pieces for the rosti or keep them whole. Heat a tablespoon of sunflower oil in an 8-inch frying pan. This oil choice is crucial for achieving that extra crunch.
Once the oil is hot, add the bacon and cook on high heat until crispy. Chopped bacon cooks quickly—within a few minutes—while whole rashers may need about 10 minutes, requiring a flip halfway through. Covering the pan helps maintain crispiness.
If you’re making the rosti, set the cooked bacon aside. For the rosti, grate the peeled potatoes and chop the onion. Add the onion to the pan and fry briefly before covering and reducing the heat for 15 minutes.
Next, wrap the grated potatoes in a clean towel and squeeze out excess moisture—a vital step to prevent sogginess. Combine the drained potatoes, cooked onion, and bacon in a bowl. Season and mix thoroughly.
Heat a bit more oil in the pan and add the potato mixture. Flatten it into an even layer and cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. To flip, turn the rosti upside down onto a plate before sliding it back into the pan. Cook the other side until golden and crisp.
Finally, fry the eggs in a hot, oiled pan to your liking. Portion the rosti and top each piece with an egg before serving. Enjoy this scrumptious combination of crispy bacon, rosti, and fried eggs!
