If you love bacon—um, duh—then it doesn’t get more perfect than this recipe from Austin, TX-based chef Lee Krassner. Krassner was the founder of the capital city’s Dock & Roll Diner, which has been dishing out lobster rolls and other delicious fare from a 1957 Flying Cloud Airstream since 2011. Swap out whole-wheat rolls for white, low-fat ranch for full fat, and Romaine for spinach (or any other dark leafy green), and voila! A bacon roll made healthy—who would’ve thought?
5 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- About 1 lb of thick cut applewood smoke bacon
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 2 eggs
- 2-3 cups of Panko breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper
- 1-2 gallons Canola or Vegetable Oil for frying
- Candy thermometer (Or any thermometer that reads up to 300 degrees)
- 1 heart of Romaine lettuce
- 2-3 tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Feta cheese crumbles
- 1 cup Ken’s Ranch Dressing (Or your favorite substitute)
- 5-6 your favorite submarine style rolls
DIRECTIONS:
1. Bread the bacon. Get three mixing bowls, and a 1/2 sheet tray (or some other flat surface to put finished breaded slices into). Put flour in the first bowl, then egg in the 2nd, beat the egg until it is fully incorporated, then put the Panko in the third.
2. To bread the bacon, first place a slice in the flour on both sides then pat off the excess, and place the slice in the egg. Use your other hand now, and take the slice and cover it with egg, and then pat the excess egg off on the sides of the bowl. With the same hand place the bacon in the Panko, but now with the OTHER hand that should be dry, toss the bacon in the Panko until it is fully coated and dry to the touch. Place the finished slice onto the sheet tray or other surface you have prepared. Repeat with the remaining slices
3. When slices are finished, put the frying oil into a heavy bottomed pot with the candy thermometer, and heat the oil over medium high heat until the temperature reaches 300.
4. In the meantime prepare your Feta-Ranch dressing by mixing the ranch and Feta crumbles together with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Chop the lettuce heart to your desired thickness, and slice the tomatoes to your desired thickness too.
6. When the oil is ready, gently place one strip of breaded bacon in there, the crumbs should bubble up gently, but not excessively, if it seems excessive the oil is most likely to hot. You want the bacon to gently fry, and slowly turn golden brown. If it is turning brown too quickly again the oil is probably too hot. The bacon should take about 2 minutes total. After about a minute, flip the bacon, and let the other sides color up until golden brown.
7. When the bacon is ready, have a paper towel lined plate or platter to lay the slice on to remove the excess oil, and then gently season with salt and pepper. Repeat until all slices are ready (You can fry more than one slice at a time.)
8. When all slices are ready toast your rolls, and then place a little Feta-Ranch on the sides on the bread, followed by tomato slices on one side, and chopped lettuce on the other. Place two slices of bacon between lettuce and tomato, and drizzle a little more feta-ranch over the top.
9. EAT AND ENJOY YOUR TASTY BACON LOVE!
Next time you’re in Austin, TX, be sure to grab lunch at Lee Krassner’s Dock & Roll Diner, which specializes in lobster rolls and other tasty fare.
