There's nothing quite like starting your day with perfectly crisp, smoky bacon, but the traditional frying method often creates a chaotic kitchen scene with oil splattering everywhere. The messy aftermath can include painful scalds, lingering cooking odours, and stubborn burnt-on residue that requires intensive scrubbing to remove from pans.
The Natural Alternative to Oil Frying
What many home cooks don't realise is that adding oil to bacon is completely unnecessary. Bacon contains abundant natural fat that renders beautifully during cooking, providing that sought-after crispy texture and rich flavour when allowed to cook properly in its own juices.
Professional chef Eric Haessler has shared his revolutionary technique for achieving flawless crispy bacon without the oil mess. On his popular platform Chef Eric Explains, he advocates for a surprisingly simple alternative: using water instead of oil.
Why Water Works Better Than Oil
"Cooking bacon in water might sound counterintuitive," Haessler explains, "but water is actually the secret to creating the easiest, most perfectly crisp bacon you'll ever make."
When bacon fries in both its own rendered fat and additional oil, it tends to scorch rapidly. This frequently causes the white fatty streaks to blacken and develop an unpleasant, bitter taste that overwhelms the bacon's natural smoky flavour.
Many home cooks instinctively remove bacon from heat when they see those white bits beginning to char, which often results in the pink meat remaining slightly undercooked and rubbery in the centre.
The Science Behind Superior Results
Swapping oil for water creates a straightforward cooking technique that regulates the pan's temperature effectively. This allows the bacon fat to render out gradually, ensuring everything cooks through more uniformly without the risk of burning.
The result is bacon with a far superior crispy, golden finish that delivers a truly satisfying crunch in every mouthful. Oil can leave bacon unpleasantly greasy, masking that gorgeous smoky flavour that makes bacon so appealing.
Remarkably, cooking bacon in water actually enhances its natural taste, providing a far superior breakfast experience without the greasy aftermath.
Step-by-Step Water Method Instructions
Preparation Stage
- Begin by placing a large cold pan on your hob or stovetop burner.
- Lay your bacon strips inside the pan without worrying about overcrowding. One significant benefit of this technique is the ability to cook multiple rashers simultaneously.
Cooking Process
- Measure approximately 60ml of water in a glass or measuring cup.
- Pour the water over the bacon strips, ensuring the liquid just barely covers them without completely drowning the meat.
- Turn the hob to a medium heat setting and bring the pan to a gentle simmer. This maintains a consistent temperature that allows the bacon to cook through evenly and gradually.
- Allow the bacon to cook for several minutes until the water evaporates completely. As the water disappears, the rendered fat will naturally begin frying the bacon.
- Turn the rashers occasionally so both sides develop an even golden-brown colour.
- Remove the bacon from the pan once it reaches your desired crispness level.
Your bacon will be perfectly rendered and crispy without requiring any additional ingredients whatsoever, creating a cleaner cooking experience and superior tasting results.
