Email to Cat      

Southern Bruschetta with Bacon and Tomato

Source of Recipe

From "Down South" by Donald Link


Recipe Introduction

"I made these toasts recently for my wife Amanda's birthday party, and of all the elaborate hors d'oeuvres that I prepared that day, these were all anyone could talk about. They are ridiculously simple, but they rely on one of the most brilliant combinations that we humans have discovered. How can you top salty bacon, ripe tomatoes, and one of my all-time favorite ingredients, mayonnaise?"

List of Ingredients

â—¦  6 ounces sliced bacon
â—¦  4 slices white bread, crusts trimmed
â—¦  1 large, perfectly ripe tomato, cut into small dice
â—¦  1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦  2 teaspoons sherry wine vinegar
â—¦  1 tablespoon minced scallion
â—¦  2 basil leaves, thinly sliced
â—¦  ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦  â…› teaspoon black pepper
â—¦  About 2 tablespoons mayonnaise


Recipe

Heat the oven to 325° F.

Put the bacon strips between two sheets of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Top with another baking sheet (this will keep the bacon flat and prevent the edges from curling up, which will make for nicer-looking bruschetta). Cook until the bacon is crisp but not burned, about 15 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to cool. (Alternatively, you can pan fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp.)

While the bacon is cooking, toast the white bread and cut each piece into four equal squares. Combine the tomato with the olive oil, vinegar, scallions, basil, salt, and pepper.

Cut the bacon into squares to fit the toast.

To serve, spread about ½ teaspoon mayonnaise on each toast square, spoon on about a tablespoon of the tomato mixture, and top with a square of bacon.

Makes 16 toasts