Portuguese Egg And Bacon Pudding Recipes

Steps:

• Heat 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over high heat without stirring. Reduce heat to low when sugar reaches an amber color, being careful to avoid burning. Carefully add 1 tablespoon water, stir, and remove from heat. Pour caramel into a lidded pudding pan, making sure to coat the entire inside of the pan.
• Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add 2 cups sugar, bacon, cinnamon, and lemon peels. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Slowly heat syrup to 217 degrees F (103 degrees C) or until a small amount of syrup dropped in cold water forms a thin thread.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C) while syrup is cooking.
• Pass egg yolks through a sieve into a bowl.
• Heat port wine in a small saucepan over medium heat until it reduces by half, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Pour the cooled port wine into the yolks, stirring as little as possible to avoid losing the color of the yolks.
• Remove syrup from heat when it reaches 217 degrees F (103 degrees C). Pour into a bowl through a sieve to remove other ingredients. Allow syrup to cool slightly.
• Pour yolk mixture into the bowl with the syrup. Pass the mixture through the sieve into a bowl. Pour mixture into the caramel-lined pudding pan. Cover the pan tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil and the lid. Set the pan into a baking pan filled with an inch of water.
• Bake pudding in the preheated oven until set, about 1 hour. Add water to the baking pan if necessary. Remove from the oven and place pan on a wire rack. Let pudding cool until center is lukewarm, at least 1 hour. Carefully unmold onto a serving plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Steps:

• 1. Butter a 5- to 6-cup ring mold and set aside. 2. For the caramel, melt the sugar slowly in a heavy medium skillet over moderately low heat, shaking the pan often but not stirring, till the sugar liquefies and turns a rich amber color, 20 to 30 minutes. Add the boiling water, teaspoon by teaspoon at first (it will sputter furiously), and stir briskly to dissolve the caramelized sugar. Simmer the mixture, uncovered, till the consistency of corn syrup, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon into the prepared ring mold and set in the freezer to firm up. 3. For the pudding, heat the sugar, water, bacon, lemon zest, cinnamon, and salt in a large, heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, till the mixture reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. 4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 5. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and Port till well blended, add the bacon mixture, stir till well blended, and put through a fine sieve, discarding the solids. Pour into the caramelized ring mold, cover snugly with foil, set in a large, shallow roasting pan, and pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ring mold. Bake the pudding for 1 hour in the center of the oven, remove from the oven and the water bath, uncover, and let cool for 1 hour. Recover and chill at least 8 hours or overnight. 6. To unmold the pudding, dip the ring mold quickly into a vessel of hot water, then invert the pudding on a large, deep, round dessert plate. Cut into thin wedges, let them stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and serve.