The bacon butter you’ll want to smear on everything (starting with these hotcakes for Mother’s Day)

Name: The bacon butter you’ll want to smear on everything (starting with these hotcakes for Mother’s Day)
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 8-10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 streaky bacon rashers, finely diced; 1 small onion or eschalots (French shallots), finely diced; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 250g unsalted butter, room temperature; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 1 tbsp chopped chives

Troy Wheeler

May 11, 2023

The bacon butter can be made ahead, and the batter blitzed in a blender on Mother’s Day morning.Simon Schluter

easyTime:< 30 minsMakes:8-10

Come Mother’s Day, you’ll find Troy Wheeler, co-owner of Melbourne butcher Meatsmith, in the kitchen with his daughters Marlow, 5, and Juno, 4, making hotcakes for his wife, Brittney. Whizzing the batter in an upright blender results in fluffy hotcakes, which he smears with bacon butter.

Ingredients

Bacon butter

4 streaky bacon rashers, finely diced
1 small onion or eschalots (French shallots), finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
250g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp chopped chives

Batter

240g (2 cups) plain flour
55g (¼ cup) caster sugar
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
425ml (1¾ cup) milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 egg whites
butter, for cooking

Method

For the bacon butter

Step 1
To make the bacon butter, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan and set aside on paper towel, reserving the bacon fat in the pan.
Step 2
Place the pan back on the heat, add the onion or shallot and cook for about 6-7 minutes, until softened and transparent but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.
Step 3
Using a stand mixer, whip the butter for 5 minutes or until airy and smooth. Add the bacon, onions and garlic and mix for a further 1-2 minutes until completely incorporated. Using a spatula, fold in the maple syrup and chives. (The butter will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.)

For the hotcakes

Step 1
Place all the batter ingredients into an upright blender and blend for a few minutes until the ingredients are combined and the batter is silky smooth with no lumps. Set aside to rest for 20 minutes.
Step 2
To cook the hotcakes, heat a medium frying pan over medium heat and melt a teaspoon of butter. Pour about 80ml of batter into the centre of the pan, lift the pan up and roll it around in a circular motion to spread the batter out slightly. Cook for about 1 minute, or until you see bubbles starting to form on the top. Turn the hotcake over and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Once both sides have cooked and are golden brown, remove from the pan, wrap in a clean tea towel and set aside on a plate to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Step 3
Spread each hotcake liberally with bacon butter, divide among four plates and serve.

Tip: The irresistible salty-sweet butter can also be used with poached chicken, steak, roasted vegetables – even popcorn.