Recipe of the day: Bacon relish

This bacon relish is full of smoky, sweet, and spicy flavours, making it perfect for any meal.

Spread it on warm bread, use it as a glaze for sausages, or enjoy it with a cheese platter. Prepare it today, and let it rest overnight for extra flavours.

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Bacon relish

Ingredients

• 500g thick, smoked bacon rashers, diced into 5mm pieces
• 4 medium red onions (about 500g), thinly sliced
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 5ml yellow mustard seeds
• 80ml sweet sherry (such as Old Brown), optional*
• 125ml apple cider vinegar
• 125ml light brown sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• 3ml cayenne pepper

Method

1. Fry the diced bacon over medium heat until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and reserve the fat in the pan (you’ll only need about 45ml; you can discard the rest).
2. Fry the onions, garlic, chilli and mustard seeds together in the bacon fat for about 10 minutes. The onions should just start to colour.
3. Stir in the sherry and loosen all the cooked bits at the bottom of the pan. Reduce the liquid by half. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
4. Add the bacon back into the pan and cook until thick and syrupy (about 10 minutes). Stir frequently to prevent it from burning.
5. Spoon the relish into a sterilised jar, seal and cool. Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavours to develop.
6. *Omit the sherry or substitute it with water.

*This recipe was sourced from sapork.co.za with permission.

Bacon relish

• • 500g thick, smoked bacon rashers, diced into 5mm pieces

• • 4 medium red onions (about 500g), thinly sliced

• • 1 white onion, thinly sliced

• • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• • 80ml sweet sherry (such as Old Brown), optional*

• • 125ml apple cider vinegar

1. Fry the diced bacon over medium heat until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and reserve the fat in the pan (you’ll only need about 45ml; you can discard the rest).
2. Fry the onions, garlic, chilli and mustard seeds together in the bacon fat for about 10 minutes. The onions should just start to colour.
3. Stir in the sherry and loosen all the cooked bits at the bottom of the pan. Reduce the liquid by half. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
4. Add the bacon back into the pan and cook until thick and syrupy (about 10 minutes). Stir frequently to prevent it from burning.
5. Spoon the relish into a sterilised jar, seal and cool. Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavours to develop.
6. *Omit the sherry or substitute it with water.

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