Contributed by: Chef Isaac Toups, Toups’ Meatery – New Orleans
Grilled Garden Vegetables with Bacon Vinaigrette
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:
- Preheat the grill to high for about 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the bacon slices on a rimmed baking sheet and
- cook in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the bacon is crispy.
- Remove the bacon and reserve the baking sheet with the rendered fat.
- Crumble the bacon and set aside.
- In a blender, combine the garlic, anchovies, and vinegar and put the lid on.
- Turn the blender on and slowly drizzle in the canola oil.
- This is never going to be a fully emulsified vinaigrette, so don’t fret if it looks like it’s breaking.
- 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.
- Keep the blender buzzing for 5 seconds to combine all the ingredients.
- Keep warm.
- 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.
- The vinaigrette doesn’t need to be hot, just not too cold because the bacon fat will congeal if you let it.
- In a large bowl or on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the
- vegetables with the salt, pepper, pepper flakes, and
- olive oil.
- Place the vegetables on the hot grill in a single layer and cook on each side for about 2 minutes.
- They should char on the outside while keeping the crunch or
- snap of fresh crudités.
- They should be really crispy and charred, not all wimpy and overcooked; high heat is key here.
- Remove the vegetables from the grill and put in a nonreactive bowl.
- Toss the grilled vegetables in the bacon vinaigrette.
- Top with the crumbled bacon.
- Serve.