A chef with 15 years of culinary experience says adding one special ingredient to bacon will make it taste "unbelievably good." Chef Devan, writing on Braised and Glazed, recommends maple syrup bacon—curing the bacon in maple syrup or adding maple flavouring to the cure. He claims this extra touch will "add flavour and create a shine and crispy snap."
Use Real Maple Syrup, Not Pancake Syrup
Chef Devan urges anyone trying this to use "real maple syrup." He adds: "Please don’t waste fake maple syrup on bacon. It deserves better, and so do you. We want 100% real, from a tree maple syrup." He also advises avoiding 'pancake syrup', which he describes as "corn syrup with artificially flavoured maple."
Oven Method for Even Cooking
While most households cook bacon in a pan, Chef Devan recommends the oven, noting it is the method most restaurants use. He explains that "you can cook bacon evenly and in large quantities."
Maple Bacon Recipe
For those intrigued by the twist, the recipe uses 125 g of bacon and 25 g of real maple syrup. Set the oven to 350°F/175°C and line a tray with aluminum foil. Line up the bacon without overlapping, then brush both sides with the maple syrup. Bake for 15-30 minutes depending on the size of the bacon, turning the tray after 10 minutes. Let the bacon cool on a rack for 5 minutes to allow the sugar to harden. Chef Devan suggests enjoying it with pancakes, breakfast, or his favourite—a maple bacon BLT.
