Grilled Garden Vegetables with Bacon Vinaigrette

Grilled Garden Vegetables with Bacon Vinaigrette

Recipe type: Entree Yield: 4 Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 1 hour

Fire up the grill for this family friendly veggie recipe that even kids will love. With thick-cut fatty bacon, pungent garlic, and a hint of spice from crushed red pepper, this dish is certain to make you come back for seconds.

Ingredients:

8          Bacon – thick-cut, sliced

5          Garlic clove – peeled

3          Anchovy filet

1/2 C   Apple cider vinegar

1/2 C   Canola oil

1 lb      Assorted vegetable – cut into 1/4″ slices

1 1/2 t Kosher salt

1 t        Black pepper – ground

1/2 t    Red pepper flakes – crushed 

1 T       Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the grill to high for about 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
3.  
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
7.  
9. Place the bacon slices on a rimmed baking sheet and
10. cook in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the bacon is crispy.
12.  
14. Remove the bacon and reserve the baking sheet with the rendered fat.
16.  
18. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
20.  
22. In a blender, combine the garlic, anchovies, and vinegar and put the lid on.
24.  
26. Turn the blender on and slowly drizzle in the canola oil.
28.  
30. This is never going to be a fully emulsified vinaigrette, so don’t fret if it looks like it’s breaking.
32.  
34. Add the reserved bacon fat or about 1 1/2 tablespoons, but if you have more from cooking your bacon, just toss it all in.
36.  
38. Keep the blender buzzing for 5 seconds to combine all the ingredients.
40.  
42. Keep warm.
44.  
46. Chef Isaac Toups likes to put it in a metal container, like a mixing bowl, and keep it by the grill while cooking the vegetables.
48.  
50. The vinaigrette doesn’t need to be hot, just not too cold because the bacon fat will congeal if you let it.
52.  
54. In a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the
55. vegetables with the salt, pepper, pepper flakes, and
56. olive oil.
58.  
60. Place the vegetables on the hot grill in a single layer and cook on each side for about 2 minutes.
62.  
64. They should char on the outside while keeping the crunch or
65. snap of fresh crudités.
67.  
69. They should be really crispy and charred, not all wimpy and overcooked; high heat is key here.
71.  
73. Remove the vegetables from the grill and put in a nonreactive bowl.
75.  
77. Toss the grilled vegetables in the bacon vinaigrette.
79.  
81. Top with the crumbled bacon.
83.  
85. Serve.

Published on August 21, 2020 by Teri Williams