Fellow southerner and best-selling cookbook author, Morgan Murphy, recently sent me a copy of his latest cookbook for Southern Living. Bourbon & Bacon: The Ultimate Guide to the South’s Favorite Food Groups reflects his love of “the smokiest and most American flavors known to man”. This cookbook is not for the faint of heart. In Morgan’s words, “The total fat and alcohol content of Bourbon & Bacon is the caloric equivalent of a nuclear weapon.”
Murphy divided the book into two sections: one for bourbon and the other for bacon. Most recipes feature one or the other ingredient, but he has created a few recipes that combine both ingredients.
The bourbon section of the book contains five chapters: In the Barrel, By the Glass, By the Pitcher, In the Jar, and For Dessert. In the first chapter, Murphy describes everything you’d want to know about this brown liquor, from ingredients, distillation, and aging to the craft of mixing and which glass you should use for each cocktail. Subsequent chapters present recipes for individual cocktails; larger quantity cocktails; butters, jams, dressings, and sauces; and desserts; respectively.
I’ve never been a big bourbon drinker, but after reading this book, I feel challenged to give this liquor another shot. His amusing cocktail names range from The Uncle Bubba and The Southern Peach to Lots of Ins, Lots of Outs and Br’er Rabbit. For each cocktail, Murphy suggests his favorite bourbon for the recipe.
I was particularly intrigued by some of his non-cocktail bourbon recipes. In these sections of the book, Murphy created recipes for Bacon, Onion, and Bourbon Marmalade; Bourbon Pecan Butter; Bourbon Vinaigrette; and Fig and Bourbon Compote. Dessert recipes include Sticky Bourbon Toffee Pudding, Bourbon-Cream Cheese Brownies, Bourbon-Banana Pudding Panna Cotta, and Turtle Bourbon Pecan Tart.
Now on to my favorite portion of the book: Bacon! Part Two of the book comprises five chapters as well: The Wonder Meat, Party Starters, Bacon Sides, Bacon Mains, and Pig Candy. Once again, Murphy starts this section of the book with a ton of information on the background of pig farming and bacon.
His Party Starters chapter features fantastic appetizers, including Bacon Pimento Cheese, Fried Green Tomato and Bacon Biscuits, Chicken and Bacon Satay, and Bacon-Grit Fritters. The Bacon Sides chapter includes recipes for Heirloom Tomato Salad with Bacon and Sweet Corn, Apple-Pear Salad with Maple-Pecan Bacon, Tennessee Cheddar-Bacon-Ale Soup, and Big Bad Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese.
Some of my favorite recipes in the book appear in the Bacon Mains chapter. In this chapter, Murphy has created recipes for BLT Benedict with Avocado-Tomato Relish, Bacon-Wrapped Halibut Filets, Thai Curry Mussels, and Bourbon Molasses Braised Pork Belly with Fried Oysters.
Of course, you can’t forget about dessert and in the Pig Candy chapter, you’ll find recipes for Pecan Sugared Bacon, Bacon Peanut Brittle, Roasted Banana-Bacon Beignets, and Bacon Apple Pie.
For today’s post, I chose to make Murphy’s Bacon-Mushroom Frittata from this book. This quick and easy breakfast takes minutes to prepare is quite delicious.
I’m also giving away a copy of the cookbook to one lucky reader. Leave a comment by Friday, September 26 at 11:59 p.m. and you’ll have a shot at winning the book. The winner will be chosen randomly from the comments.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 (6 ounce) package fresh baby spinach
3 hickory-smoked bacon slices, cooked and chopped
1 10-ounce can mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup crumbled garlic-and-herb feta cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a 10-inch (2-inch deep) ovenproof non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Saute mushrooms in hot oil 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.
2. Add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Stir in spinach, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or just until spinach beings to wilt.
3. Add bacon, tomatoes and green chiles, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Add eggs, and sprinkle with cheese. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, gently lifting edges of frittata with a spatula and tilting pan so uncooked portions flows underneath.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven, and let stand 5 minutes. Slide frittata onto a large platter, and cut into 6 to 8 wedges. Serve immediately.
https://southernboydishes.com/2014/09/20/bacon-mushroom-frittata-plus-a-cookbook-giveaway/You may also like:
Bill Harris
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Do you happen to have the calorie count for a serving of this?
Thanks so much for dropping by, Amy. Unfortunately I don’t have a calorie count for this recipe. There are several websites that you can use to get calorie information, though.
I been living amongst Yankees for 2 years. This cookbook sounds like a taste of home. I love to try to some these recipes!
Oh my gosh! This looks amazing! I’m going to have to make this for the husband. I just ran across your blog and love it!
Thank you so much! I appreciate you dropping by!
Sticky Bourbon Toffee Pudding sounds delicious.
Mmmm, this looks delicious. And I know a good friend who would absolutely love to get this book as a present! 🙂
Well, the book sounds great, and your frittata is beautiful! Bravo!
Looks great! I think I just might make this tomorrow morning for breakfast!
Looks great. The bourbon section sounds interesting.
Frittatas are one of our favorite meals – and this looks like a winner!
Ohh… that looks really good. Been wanting to make a frittata for a while, and this recipe looks perfect.
Two of my favorite things.
I have his two Road Trip Cookbooks. They make me wistful. GREG
Whoops – just noticed this was a giveaway. Ok – so I’ll check it out and hope I win. 🙂 Have a great week Bill!
I’m not a big bourbon drinker but I do love cooking with bourbon and I do LOVE bacon! I usually eat my bacon as a side to frittata, however, I could change that. What a beautiful dish! Thanks for introducing this cookbook! I will be checking it out.
I’m sold!
Pecan sugared bacon and bourbon butter? I’m in!!
Delicious looking frittata Bill and spinach and tomatoes bring on a lot of color and flavor. Frittatas are so versatile
Bring on the bacon and bourbon – nothing finer.
Sam
WOW!! What a perfect confluence of flavors. I know what’s on my Sunday brunch menu!! (Can’t wait for my copy of the cookbook!!!! YAY.)
The bacon Frittata with mushrooms looks so yummy , I can hardly wait to try it. If this recipe is indicative of the rest of the cookbook I can hardly wait to get my hands on it!!!
Gorgeous frittata and I so need to get a copy of that book. I’m not much of a bourbon drinker either but it is fabulous in baked goods with chocolate. And bacon, well, life would not be the same without bacon. Pinned.
This looks delicious! Frittatas are such a perfect food ~ throw in whatever you like and they make a great tasting and healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner. I just made one last night! Crossing my fingers to get picked for this cookbook! 🙂
This looks delicious and I’d love to win a copy of the book!