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Second to naan

 

When it comes to sandwich fillings, is there anything you chaps across the pond love more than the humble bacon "butty"? According to a recent poll I read, the answer is no, no there is not. The versatility of this much-loved national treasure will surely have something to do with its popularity. Transcending generations, it can be acceptably eaten at all times of the day. Lets face it, that’s what we’re all looking for in a good sandwich, wherever we are in the world.
So, and I say this respectfully, what the devil do Indians know about bacon? You may well be surprised when you decide to  make this wonderment. I am nowhere near a Dishoom living in the Algarve, but now thankfully I have the book, and I bought it on the strength of this one recipe, I can recreate some of their recipes, and indeed I have. I tell you breakfast just doesn´t get much better than this. There are some things in life so perfectly matched – such winning combinations – that you wonder quite what anyone did before they came along. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, crisp bacon and tomato, fresh herbs and cream cheese. Some people question the cream cheese in this context; it’s unexpected I give you but trust me it is not only necessary but brilliant in this case. It was these winning combinations that gave me a moment when I bit into it. One wonders was there life before Dishoom’s bacon naan roll, well I tell you there certainly is life after one. I dutifully made a batch of the tomato chilli jam and its absolutely worth the effort.The sweetness of the jam goes perfectly with the salty bacon and it lasts for up to a month in the fridge.
Dishoom admits that, “making naan at home will not be easy”, unless you happen to have a tandoor oven that can reach 500°C. So this is the only element where I was forced to improvise. In a modern day kitchen, we do not have a tandoor oven, but you can make successful naan( well puffed up flatbread) at home with a hot cast-iron skillet on the stove stop. The naan turn out extremely delicious, soft, puffy, airy, with the beautiful golden brown spots on the surface. Both Naan bread and pita bread are known as flatbreads. They each have a yeast raised dough. The difference between the two is that Naan is usually made with an egg and yogurt base that thickens and gives it a slightly different texture when cooking. Once its brushed with melting butter I defy anyone to tell the difference between a flatbread and a naan.There is a multitude of recipes for pan cooked naan breads on tinternet and I proffer you mine,but feel free to try others.

Dishoom’s bacon naan roll

Make sure you prepare all the ingredients for the filling before your naan hits the pan
and be sure to use a top notch quality flavoursome cut of bacon.

serves 1
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
1tsp full fat cream cheese
(philadelphia)
sprinkling of coriander leaves
pinch of finely chopped green chilli
( optional )
1 tsp tomato chilli jam,
plus extra for dipping

Tomato chilli jam
makes about 800g

800g tomatoes,
roughly chopped if fresh; including the juice if tinned
60g fresh root ginger,
finely chopped
15g garlic ( 3-4 cloves)
finely chopped
8g green chillies (2-3)
finely chopped
125ml rice vinegar

300g granulated sugar
Blitz the tomatoes using a jug or stick blender.in batches if necessary,until you have a coarse purée. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the sugar,and blend until well combined. Pour the blended mix into a non-reactive pan and add the sugar.Bring to a gentle simmer and cook ovef a low heat until reduced to a thick consistency. Pour into a warm sterilised jar while still hot,wipe the lip of the jar to ensure it is clean before securing the lid.Store in a cool,dark place and it will keep for up to 6 months.Once opened store in the fridge and use within a month.

Skillet pan yoghurt flatbreads
Makes 4

200g white flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
200g Greek yoghurt, or 150ml warm water
1 Put all the flatbread ingredients into the bowl of your food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a ball. If you don’t have a food processor, this can be done in a bowl using a fork to begin with, followed by your hands, but it will take a little longer.
2 Tip the dough out on to a clean work surface dusted with flour. Knead for a minute or so, to bring it all together. Put the dough into a flour-dusted bowl and cover with a plate. Put to one side to rise a little for 10–15 minutes. Don’t expect it to rise like normal dough, but it may puff up a tiny bit.
3 Dust a clean work surface and rolling pin with flour, then divide the dough into four equal pieces. Using your hands, pat and flatten out the dough, then use the rolling pin to roll each piece into a disc roughly 20cm in diameter and 2–3mm thick.
4 Warm a frying pan or griddle pan that’s a bit larger than your flatbreads over a medium heat. Once your pan is nicely hot, cook each flatbread for 1–2 minutes on each side, until nicely puffed up, turning with tongs.
Brush the flatbreads with melted butter, serve warm.  
 
Grill or fry the bacon until the fat is nicely crisped.
Cook the naans or flatbreads
To assemble, spread the cream cheese across the cooked naan or flatbread and top with coriander leaves. Add the cooked bacon rashers and scatter over the chopped green chilli,if using.
Drizzle with tomato chilli jam,fold the naan or flatbread in half to enclose the filling and eat immediately, with extra tomato chilli jam on the side for dipping.

Comments

  1. Rupert you can make that for me anytime! I mostly eat flatbread when I’m at home! I love it😍

    ReplyDelete
  2. we made these today for lunch after a hard morning's work - they were delicious!

    ReplyDelete

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