Queen's Chef Says We've Been Cooking Bacon Wrong

How to perfect the perfect crispy bacon is one of those emotive topics that can divide even the best of cooks. We've seen lots of tried and tested methods over the years at Fine Dining Lovers HQ, like adding water to the pan to stop the bacon drying out, cooking bacon in the oven and even sous vide bacon, cooked overnight.

Next up, another technique for cooking the best bacon, which comes with the royal stamp of approval. Jeff Baker, a Michelin-starred chef who once cooked for the Queen, has this simple message: cook bacon fast in a hot pan.

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Baker, who is now executive development chef at online butcher Farmison & Co, told the Daily Star: "I find that the best way to cook bacon is on a medium to high heat pan with a small amount of natural fat, searing it on each side for a minute or so."

"If the bacon is properly dry cured and cut to a nice thickness, it should caramelise on the edges. The fat will then render without dissolving, resulting in delicious flavour.”

You can forget HP Sauce and ketchup in chef Baker's kitchen too. “In my opinion, if cooked this way, the bacon won’t need any sauce to enhance the taste - it’ll be perfect as it is," he told the newspaper.

Searing bacon in a hot pan causes the Maillard reaction to occur. The sought-after chemical reaction breaks down amino acids and reduces sugar, allowing the browning process to take place and a delicious Maillard crust to develop, as per the perfect steak.

How do you cook your bacon?

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