Bacon butty
This is the ultimate bacon butty, with homemade chipotle ketchup, sage and bacon butter to really ramp up the flavours.
Ingredients
For the bacon butter
- 165g/5½oz minced bacon fat
- pinch mace
- 40g/1½oz crispy onions, ground
- pinch black pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper
- pinch ground allspice
- 250g/9oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tsp salt
For the chipotle ketchup
- 20ml/3½ tsp rapeseed oil
- 400g/14oz onions, roughly chopped
- 17²µ/½´Ç³ú cumin seed, roasted and ground
- 6g coriander seed, roasted and ground
- 4 garlic cloves
- 5g dried oregano
- 11g smoked paprika
- 150g/5½oz dried chipotle chillies
- 70²µ/2½´Ç³ú tomato purée
- 350g/12oz chopped tomatoes
- 1kg/2lb 4oz dates, chopped
- 100g/3½oz date syrup
- 320ml/11¼fl oz red wine vinegar
- 280g/10oz black treacle
- 10ml/2 tsp lime juice
- 65²µ/2¼´Ç³ú salt
For the butty
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 rashers middle back bacon
- 6 fresh sage leaves
- 2 free-range eggs
- 2 brioche bun
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp chipotle ketchup, as above, or to your liking
Method
To make the bacon butter, render the bacon fat with 400ml/14fl oz water for 45 minutes to 1 hour on a simmer, until the fat is fully rendered.
Add all the spices into the pan along with the salt, then blend until smooth. Allow to cool and then mix well into room temperature butter. Set aside.
To make the chipotle ketchup, add the oil to a saucepan then sweat the onions over low heat for 10 minutes. Once softened add the cumin, coriander seed, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt and chipotle chillies. Cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the tomato purée and cook for a couple of minutes more.
Add the chopped tomatoes, dates, date syrup, vinegar and black treacle along with 1 litre/1¾ pints of water. Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer. Cook slowly until reduced by half, at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
Allow to cool, then add the lime juice and blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with more salt if needed.
Pour into a sterilised jar or bottle and seal. Kept in an airtight container, it will keep in fridge for up to 1 month.
To make the butty, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon until beautifully caramelised. Whilst it cooks, chop your fresh sage and add it to the oil with a sprinkle of black pepper.
In a separate frying pan, fry your eggs sunny side up. Meanwhile, lightly toast the buns.
Generously spread the bacon butter over each side of the bun and add the chipotle ketchup to the top side of the bun. The bacon butty is then built and scoffed.
