From our Home Test Kitchen: Haskap Bacon Jam

We posted this photo on our Facebook page of our delicious experiment of making Haskap Bacon Jam and received a few requests for the recipe.  Here it is.

Haskap Bacon Jam

Yield: 250ml

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen haskap berries

2-4 thick slices of smoked bacon, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp raw honey

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup stock or  water

splash of sherry or other fortified liqueur, optional

Begin by rendering the fat from the smoked bacon rashers on a hot pan.  When bacon is fully cooked but not completely crunchy yet, remove them from the pan and set aside.  Add the onions to sautee in the bacon fat, lessen the heat so as not to fry the onions.  You want the onions to soften and caramelize without burning.  Once golden and soft, drain the fat, put the bacon back, add the liqueur if using and/or stock to scrape off the brown bacon bits stuck to the pan. 

Add the haskap berries, stir to mix and bring to a boil.  Once it's boiling, reduce the heat, add honey to balance the tartness (you can also use maple syrup), balsamic vinegar and seasoning.  Let the dish simmer until the liquid is reduced.  You want the consistency to be a little thicker than syrupy, nappe, or coating the back of your spoon.  Some would prefer a lighter jam with a slightly higher yield by adding maybe a tsp of pectin to the mix. and more stock.

This haskap bacon jam makes a great accompaniment to roast and grilled meats (we had ours with pan seared wild duck breast, mixing the haskap jam in with the jus), or as a crostini topping, with shaved parmesan on top.  Enjoy!