Candied Bacon Cashews
Colin Lynch: I’ve always loved smoked almonds. But smoked cashews are something you don’t see very often, so I decided to try making them. Because we cook the nuts with sugar, they get toasted and caramelized at the same time. The caramel sets so you have the texture of crème brûlée crust on the outside—hard and crackly—and then that soft, nutty contrast on the inside. We use bacon to add smoke flavor, and, for extra smokiness, Norwegian smoked salt. We serve the cashews at Drink, a bar that’s known for its cocktails, and they’re the perfect complement.
Colin Lynch is the executive chef of the restaurant company Barbara Lynch Gruppo, which owns Drink, in Boston.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 pounds raw cashews
1/4 cup diced, cooked bacon
half of the bacon fat from cooking
1 tablespoon cold butter
smoked salt
Directions:
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and heat until boiling. Add the cashews, and stir continuously. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to occasionally wipe the inside of the pot. When the water evaporates and the sugar is caramelized, stir in the bacon. Turn off the heat, and add the bacon fat and butter, and smoked salt to taste. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet to cool, then break apart.
Colin Lynch: I’ve always loved smoked almonds. But smoked cashews are something you don’t see very often, so I decided to try making them. Because we cook the nuts with sugar, they get toasted and caramelized at the same time. The caramel sets so you have the texture of crème brûlée crust on the outside—hard and crackly—and then that soft, nutty contrast on the inside. We use bacon to add smoke flavor, and, for extra smokiness, Norwegian smoked salt. We serve the cashews at Drink, a bar that’s known for its cocktails, and they’re the perfect complement.
Colin Lynch is the executive chef of the restaurant company Barbara Lynch Gruppo, which owns Drink, in Boston.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 pounds raw cashews
1/4 cup diced, cooked bacon
half of the bacon fat from cooking
1 tablespoon cold butter
smoked salt
Directions:
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and heat until boiling. Add the cashews, and stir continuously. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to occasionally wipe the inside of the pot. When the water evaporates and the sugar is caramelized, stir in the bacon. Turn off the heat, and add the bacon fat and butter, and smoked salt to taste. Transfer to a greased cookie sheet to cool, then break apart.