LCBO Food and Drink Early Summer 2016

APRICOT & CIDER MUSTARD Hit with fruit two ways, this mustard is sweet summery goodness. It needs to rest for a week in the fridge before using, so plan ahead. As it matures, the mustard loses bitterness and gains depths of fruit flavour that works with backyard barbecued goodness and more re- fined fare too. 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped dried apricots cup (125 mL) hard cider, stirred until flat cup (125 mL) apple cider vinegar

1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). 2 Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain; reserve ba- con for use in sandwiches or salads. 3 Pour rendered bacon fat from pan through a sieve into a large heatproof measuring cup. Top up with grape-seed oil to measure 2 cups (500 mL). Set aside to cool at room temperature. 4 Add vinegar and maple syrup to pan and, using a spatula, scrape up brown crusty bits and stir to dissolve. Set pan aside. 5 Add eggs to a blender along with Dijon; pulse to combine. With the motor running, very slowly add bacon fat mixture until may- onnaise begins to thicken and only about half of the bacon fat mixture remains. Scrape vine- gar mixture into mayonnaise, continue blend- ing and proceed to slowly add remaining fat. Add salt and pepper and pulse to combine. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 5 days. Makes 2¼ cups (560 mL)

PEPPER BACON MAYO A summer without mayo is like running with­ out shoes—do-able, but just plain weird. Forget about the stuff on the supermarket shelves. Making mayo is easy, but if you’re going to make it, it should be the best mayo ever. 1 lb (500 g) thick-cut double-smoked bacon Grape-seed or canola oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) apple cider vinegar 1 tsp (5 mL) maple syrup 2 eggs 2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard tsp (2 mL) salt 1 tbsp (15 mL) cracked black pepper

2 tbsp (30 mL) yellow mustard seeds 1 tbsp (15 mL) brown mustard seeds ¼ cup (60 mL) Keene’s mustard powder ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

1 Combine all ingredients in a 2-cup (500‑mL) glass jar, cover loosely and rest for 24 hours on the countertop. Turn out into a food pro- cessor and pulse until apricot has broken down and mustard is mostly smooth but mustard seeds remain whole. Cover and refrigerate for a week before using. Mustard will keep, refrig- erated, for a month. Makes 1½ cups (375 mL)

PA I R S WE L L WI TH

ANY OCCASION

For whatever tonight brings, we’ve got a signature cocktail and mouthwatering steak to match. And with over 40 locations across Ontario, there’s always a Keg close by.

FOOD & DRI NK EARLY SUMMER 2016 163