Noted chef and author Molly Stevens brings her culinary skills to Zingerman’s Camp Bacon in Ann Arbor. Molly, whose book All About Braising won numerous awards including a 2005 James Beard Foundation Award and was touted by the Village Voice as one of the Top 10 Best Cookbooks of All Time. Click “read more” to get her recipes for Spring Vegetable Braise with Bacon and Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Braised Slab Bacon and come to Camp Bacon for a demo of how she makes them. You can download the recipes for easy printing here: Camp Bacon Recipes.

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Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Braised Slab Bacon

The slow braise tames the salty-smoky character of the bacon, mellowing the flavor and giving it a meatier, less floppy texture. Once braised, bacon enhances all sorts of dishes and is especially good with eggs, salads, and pasta. My favorite thing to do with braised bacon, however, is make spaghetti alla carbonara. It transforms this familiar bacon-and-egg pasta dish into something altogether sublime.

Don’t be shy about braising more bacon than the recipe calls for. Braised bacon keeps well in the refrigerator, and you’ll have no trouble discovering other ways to serve it. Before adding the bacon to anything, warm it in the braising liquid or sauté briefly in drippings or olive oil.

Serves 4

Braising Time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours

THE BRAISE

3/4 pound slab bacon, rind removed

1 small carrot, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small yellow onion (about 3 ounces), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised

One 2- to 3-inch leafy fresh rosemary or thyme sprig

1 bay leaf

4 to 6 black peppercorns

3/4 cup chicken stock, homemade or store-bought, or water

1/2 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth

THE PASTA

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth

1 pound dried spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini

3 large eggs

Coarse salt

1/4 cup each f reshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 275 degrees.

2. Blanching the bacon: Put the bacon into a medium saucepan (if you need to cut the bacon into two pieces to fit, do so) and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Drain.

3. The aromatics and braising liquid: Choose a heavy tight-lidded flameproof pot that will accommodate the bacon snugly. Again, don’t hesitate to cut the bacon into two or three pieces to fit—ultimately it will be cut into cubes. Put the carrot, onion, garlic, rosemary or thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns in the pan. Set the bacon on top, fat side up, and pour in the stock (or water) and wine. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the meat; if not, add a bit more stock (or water). Bring the liquid to a steady simmer over medium-high heat. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the top, pressing down so it nearly touches the meat and the edges of the paper extend over the sides of the pot by about an inch, then cover with the lid.

4. The braise: Place the bacon in the middle of the oven and braise at a gentle simmer, basting and turning once or twice, until completely tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. You should be able to easily pierce the meat with a regular table fork. Remove from the oven, and turn the broiler on high.

5. Browning the bacon: As soon as the broiler is hot, slide the bacon under it so that it is about 4 inches away from the heating element. Broil, turning once with tongs, until you hear sizzling and popping sounds and the surface is brown and crisp, 3 to 8 minutes per side, depending on the strength of your broiler. Remove from the broiler and let the bacon cool to room temperature in the braising liquid.

6. Degreasing the braising liquid: Transfer the bacon to a cutting board. Tilt the pot and skim off the fat on the surface—there may be as much as 1/2 cup. Strain the braising liquid, and discard the vegetables. If you are not making the pasta right away, return the bacon to the braising liquid, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 1 week). If you are making the pasta right away, taste the braising liquid. It should have a pleasant broth-like flavor, but occasionally, depending on the bacon, the braising liquid will have an overpowering smoky taste—in which case, discard it. But if you like the flavor, save the liquid for another use (such as cooking vegetables, adding to soups, or adding to another braise).

7. Making the pasta sauce: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the bacon into large dice (about 1/2-inch cubes). You should have a generous cup. Heat the oil in a medium skillet (9- to 10-inch) over medium heat. Add the bacon and garlic and sauté, shaking frequently, to crisp the bacon on all sides. As soon as the garlic cloves are golden, about 3 minutes, remove and discard them—this will probably happen before the bacon is ready, but continue sautéing the bacon until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer to reduce by about half, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside in a warm corner of the stove.

8. Cooking the pasta: When the pasta water boils, add a handful of salt (about 2 tablespoons) and the pasta, stir once or twice, and boil vigorously until it’s al dente. While the pasta boils, break the eggs into a small bowl, add a pinch of salt, and lightly beat them. Set aside. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2cup of the cooking water.

9. The finish: Transfer the pasta to a warm serving bowl. Gradually pour 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water into the eggs, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. Whisk in the cheese and parsley. Immediately pour the egg-cheese mixture over the pasta and toss with tongs or two large wooden spoons so that it thoroughly coats all the strands of pasta. Quickly rewarm the bacon and wine over high heat, and immediately pour it over the pasta. Toss. If the pasta seems dry, add some or all of the remaining pasta cooking water. Season with a few generous grinds of black pepper and serve right away. Pass more cheese at the table.

Recipe from “All About Braising” (WW Norton), by Molly Stevens

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Spring Vegetable Braise with Bacon

This is what to make in the spring when you come home from the farmers’ market charged with bags of the first baby vegetables of the season—artichokes, spring onions, fava beans, and carrots. Don’t try to make this with the so-called baby vegetables sold in big supermarkets, which have been grown to stay small and then shipped halfway across the country. Since locally grown spring vegetables appear at different times and in varying combinations depending on where you live, think of this recipe as an outline rather than a specific formula. The basic technique is to start braising the tougher, more fibrous vegetables first (carrots and artichokes) and then, when they are just barely tender, add the more delicate types, such as peas and scallions, to braise for a few minutes more.

Follow your local market and make substitutions and additions according to what vegetables are the freshest. For instance, if there are no artichokes, add 1/2pound of marble-sized new potatoes. Spring turnips are also perfect here, especially the little round Japanese varieties. I sometimes add a few slivered cloves of green garlic along with the peas. And if you’re fortunate to find all of these spring vegetables, go ahead and expand the medley, keeping in mind that as you add more, you’ll have more servings.

The little bit of bacon to start and the crème fraîche to finish are decidedly French touches. To my mind, it’s one prime example of what makes French food so good—simple yet sublime.

Serves 4

Braising Time: about 20 minutes

1/2 lemon

1 pound baby artichokes (6 to 8), 2 to 3 inches in diameter

1 cup shelled fava beans or shelled fresh peas (about 2 pounds fava beans in the pod or 1 pound peas in the pod)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup 1/4-inch dice slab bacon (1 ounce)

1/2 pound baby carrots (8 to 10), scrubbed and greens removed

1/2 pound spring onions (6 to 8), about 1 inch in diameter, or 6 thick scallions

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chicken stock, homemade or store-bought, or water, plus more if needed

1/4 cup crème fraîche

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

1. Trimming the artichokes: Fill a medium bowl with water. Squeeze the lemon into the water, and drop the spent lemon half into the water. Set aside. Pull the outermost leaves from one artichoke, tearing them off where they break at the base. (Since you can eat nearly all of a baby artichoke, don’t tear away as many leaves as you would an ordinary globe artichoke.) With a sharp knife, cut the top 1 to 1 1/2inches off the artichoke. Many baby artichokes reveal a sort of “waist” or indentation when you peel away the outer leaves; if so, slice off the top at this indentation. Then trim the stem, leaving up to 1 inch. With a paring knife, trim the ragged edges from the artichoke, and pare away the fibrous outermost layer of the stem. Stand the artichoke upside down on a cutting board so the stem is pointing upward, and slice down through the stem to cut the artichoke in half. Look closely at the center, or choke. If it is hairy and fibrous looking, scoop it away with a sharp-edged teaspoon. If there is no visible choke, as is the case with some baby artichokes, then you are finished. Drop the halves into the lemon water. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.

2. Peeling the fava beans, if using: Taste a single fava bean. If the beans are small— thumbnail size—and particularly fresh, you probably won’t even notice the thin skin encasing the bean. In this case, there’s no need to peel them. If the beans are larger or older, you will notice a thicker, rubbery skin, which should be removed. Many recipes tell you to blanch the beans in boiling water and then shock them with cold water before peeling. This loosens the peel and makes it easier to remove, but it also softens the texture of the beans, something I prefer to avoid in this recipe. With such a small amount of fresh beans, I find the extra trouble of blanching the beans unnecessary, and the skins usually slip off without too much frustration. If you have a sharp thumbnail, use this to slit open the casing where the little “eye” is and then simply peel off the casing. You can also use a paring knife, but be careful not to slice into the bean.

3. Frying the bacon: Melt the butter in a wide shallow braising pan or deep skillet (12- to 13-inch) over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until well browned and crisp on the outside but with some softness remaining inside, 4 to 6 minutes.

4. Braising the tougher vegetables: Drain the artichokes and add them to the skillet, along with the carrots and spring onions, if using. Seasons with salt and pepper. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low so that the stock simmers gently and cover the pan. Braise, stirring once or twice, until the carrots and artichokes are just barely tender, 12 to 18 minutes. The timing will vary depending on the size and maturity of the vegetables.

5. Braising the tender vegetables: Add the fava beans (or peas) and the scallions, if using. If the pan appears dry, add a few tablespoons of stock or water. Cover and continue to braise until all the vegetables are tender, another 4 to 5 minutes.

6. The finish: Remove the cover, add the crème fraîche, and increase the heat to medium-high. Simmer rapidly until the crème fraîche thickens up and the vegetables take on an appealing fawn-colored glaze. Stir in the tarragon. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot or warm.

Recipe from “All About Braising” (WW Norton), by Molly Stevens

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