Bacon Times Three BLT

You read the title right, bacon in three different components of the BLT.  I may have a death wish or just need fatty food to motivate me to break out my running shoes.  Either way, this is an indulgent BLT worth trying!  Obviously way one is going to be crispy (only way) bacon.  Second, toasting up fresh slices of bread in the pan used to cook the bacon to get all of the crispy bits of flavor left behind.  And third?  Oh third is the best.

BACON FAT MAYONNAISE!  Normal mayo just has plain old oil but Toasty mayo goes full tilt fat kid crazy.  Just 3 tablespoons of bacon fat drizzled in and a pinch or two of smoked salt (new favorite, thanks Giada!) make the mayo smoky and full of bacony depth.  Add a couple of cloves of roasted garlic, because I always have a few on hand in my freezer, and it is my paradise.

Guys, it is just about the simple things.  Plump tomatoes, crunchy fresh greens, fresh bread from the French ex-pats in my neighborhood, and a killer mayo.  Oh and bacon.  Always bacon.

Bacon Times Three BLT
2 slices of thick cut bacon (or 3, or 4, or . . . )
2 slices of thick sliced bread
1 roma tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
small handful of pea shoots, ripped up a little
slathering of Bacon Mayo

Bacon Mayo
2 egg yolks
zest and juice of half of a lemon
1/8 teaspoon of dijon mustard
3 tablespoons of bacon fat
3/4 - 1 cup of olive oil
2 cloves of roasted garlic (optional, but lovely)
smoked salt and pepper to taste
light agave nectar to taste (if needed)

First, make super crispy bacon!  In a large pan, cook the bacon over a medium heat until all of the fat has rendered and the bacon is dark and dreamy.

Pat dry with a paper towel and leave the pan alone for a few minutes!  This is the good stuff...

Next, start on the mayo.  Begin by whipping up the egg yolks for a few minutes by themselves in your food processor until they are lighter in color.  Add the lemon zest and juice, dijon mustard, roasted garlic, and a little smoked salt and pepper.  Blend that up by pulsing for about 30 seconds.  Finally, add your BACON FAT!

I ended up getting about 1 1/2 tablespoons by frying up 4 thick cut strips of bacon and got the rest of the bacon fat from my saved reserves in the fridge.  I nuked my reserved fat in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds until it was just melted and cooled to room temperature before adding to the mayo base.  I added 1/2 cup of olive oil through the chute of the food processor then removed the mayo base to a separate bowl.

The final addition of olive oil was added dropwise while furiously whisking so that I can ensure the proper texture of the mayo.  When you have the right texture, taste for seasoning.  I ended up adding a little more pepper and a few drops of light agave nectar to temper acid from the lemon juice.

Next, toast up the bread.  I sliced my ciabatta loaf into thick slices and used the pan I cooked the bacon in to toast them up.  The bread ends up picking up the left behind crispy bacon pieces and all of that flavor that could have gone to waste!

Finally, you are ready to assemble:  bread bottom toastiest side face down, spread with a little mayo.

Add a layer of sliced roma tomatoes, 2 (or more) slices of the crispy bacon, a little handful of pea shoots, and finally another slice of bacon-mayo slathered bacon-toasted bread.

Bacon Times Three BLT is complete!  Go enjoy!