Kasha with Bacon and Onions
- 1 1/2 cups kasha
- 1 tablespoon lard or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound good-quality slab bacon, minced
- 1 large onion, diced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Bring about 1 quart water (or, if you have it, stock) to a boil.
- Rinse the kasha in a strainer.
- Put the lard in a deep skillet with a lid over medium heat.
- A minute later, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp, about 10 minutes.
- Remove it with a slotted spoon, add the onion, and raise the heat to medium-high.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.
- Remove with a slotted spoon; keep separate from the bacon so the bacon will remain crisp.
- Add the kasha, along with some pepper, and cook, stirring, until the mixture smells toasty, about 3 minutes.
- Carefully add 3 cups of the boiling water, turn the heat to low, then cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
- If the liquid is absorbed and the kasha is tender but not mushy, its done.
- If liquid remains, cook it a little more; if the mixture is dry and the kasha undercooked, add a little more water.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.
- Stir in most of the bacon and onion, then garnish with the remaining bacon and onion and serve.
- Soak a small handful of dried porcini in hot water.
- When theyre tender, drain them, reserving their soaking liquid.
- Cook them with 1/2 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced, as you do the bacon in step 1, increasing the fat (use butter or olive oil) to 2 tablespoons; remove when they are lightly browned.
- Cook the kasha as above, using about a cup of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid in place of water.
- Stir in the mushrooms and serve.
kasha, lard, bacon, onion, salt
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/kasha-with-bacon-and-onions-385883 (may not work)