Barding Basics & Tips

The technical term for wrapping food in a layer of fat to add flavor and moisture is “barding.” Bacon is commonly used because aside from its signature fat content, the flavor is sweet, salty, and smoky at the same time.

Classic bacon-wrapped items, such as rumaki (chicken liver or water chestnuts wrapped in bacon and brushed with a sweet soy glaze), angels on horseback (oysters wrapped in bacon), devils on horseback (prunes wrapped in bacon), and bacon-wrapped filet mignon, have been around for years. Think beyond these old-school stand-bys and try baconizing the following:

• Fruit: dried dates, pineapple wedges, fresh figs
• Vegetables: bundles of asparagus, green beans or green onions, mushrooms, potato wedges, spicy peppers, cherry tomatoes, avocado wedges, slices of acorn squash
• Seafood: shrimp, scallops, thick pieces of fish, like seabass or salmon
• Meat: pork loin, venison tenderloin, meatloaf or meatballs, hamburger sliders
• Poultry: whole pheasants or guinea hen, bite-sized chicken pieces, bone-in turkey breast
• Other: hard-cooked eggs, rolls, or bread sticks

Once your items are wrapped in bacon, you can choose to bake, broil, grill, or sauté them. If the item you are wrapping in bacon has a short cook time (e.g., a fresh fig), you will need to par-cook the bacon before using to ensure it is fully cooked when the dish is ready to eat. Cook the bacon first in a skillet or the oven until it is halfway cooked, but still pliable. Then proceed to twist, drape or wrap it around the item of your choice.

Mix things up by using a wide variety of bacon. Hickory smoked and applewood smoked both have the traditional flavors we all recognize. Wild boar bacon will yield a similar flavor but will cut out a third of the fat. For something completely different, try duck bacon wrapped around dried apricots or baby bok choy. Ventrèche, or French pancetta, isn’t technically bacon because it is not smoked, but can be used in all the same ways. It is especially good wrapped around figs and blue cheese.

Quick Tips

If using a toothpick to secure the bacon to the food, be sure to remove it before serving.