Dipped Bacon Fritters
By Chef Max Straczek
This recipe marries the classic combination of bacon and pancakes into a single handheld treat…
5 min prep time
20 min cook time
Serves 4
Why we like it
The Cambridge Dictionary defines a 'fritter' as, "a slice of fruit, vegetable, or meat covered with batter and then fried."
With that said, it doesn’t take a master’s degree in linguistics to understand how delicious a ‘Dipped Bacon Fritter’ is when dunked in some maple syrup.
So, instead of making pancakes with a side of bacon (or bacon with a side of pancakes), we’re bringing the best of both worlds together in a fluffy and light convenient package.
And of course, you could dip your favourite fruits and/or vegetables into this pancake batter, and omit the bacon, but then it wouldn’t be a dipped bacon fritter, would it?
Ingredients
Preparation Notes
There’s pancake batter, and there’s light and fluffy pancake batter!
In this recipe, we’re creating a simple French meringue to add some lift and airiness into our batter.
Simply separate the egg whites from the yolks, then while whisking, gradually add the sugar until everything is dissolved.
The meringue should hold its shape and form a soft peak on the end of your whisk.
Then, gently fold the meringue, in batches, into the thick batter without deflating it.
Making the recipe
Step 1
Bacon
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then arrange bacon strips in a single layer.
- Cook the bacon until it turns crispy on one side, then using tongs, flip the strips and repeat on the other side.
- Remove the crispy, cooked bacon from the pan, and allow to cool on a plate lined with paper towel.
- Reserve the bacon fat in a heat proof bowl.
Step 2
Fritter Batter
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, half of the sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- In another bowl, combine the vanilla extract, egg yolks, and milk together.
- Whisk about half of the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry, followed by the remainder of the wet to create a paste-like texture and everything is fully incorporated.
Step 3
Meringue
- In a clean bowl, combine the egg whites and the remaining sugar.
- Whisk together until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture forms soft peaks on the end of the whisk.
Step 4
Fold
- Add the reserved bacon fat to the batter. If it has solidified, melt it in a microwave for just a few seconds.
- Gently fold the meringue mixture into the batter. Start from the bottom and fold over the top, rotating the bowl until fully incorporated to maintain its light and airy texture.
Step 5
Dip & Fry
- Add oil to a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Dip one piece of bacon at a time into the batter, the lay it into the pan away from your body. Repeat for the remaining slices of bacon, but do not crowd the pan.
- Cook until bubbles form along the bottom each slice, then flip.
- After both sides are cooked, remove each bacon fritter from the pan and serve with maple syrup and/or your favourite toppings.
