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Cassava Bacon

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Photo by Lauren Toyota

Serve this bacon as part of a vegan brunch feast, or pile onto English muffins with a tofu egg and toppings for the best breakfast sandwich ever.

Ingredients

Bacon marinade:

1/4 cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Cassava Bacon:

1 cassava root
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl or wide dish with a whisk or fork.

    Step 2

    Peel the tough brown waxy skin from the cassava and discard. Your cassava root should be firm and white, not gray or mushy. That is a sign of spoilage.

    Step 3

    Using the peeler or a mandolin, shave off thin strips of cassava about 1 1/4 inches wide to resemble strip bacon.

    Step 4

    Marinate the strips for 15 minutes.

    Step 5

    Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat with a small amount of oil. When the pan is hot, place 4 or 5 strips into the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side and 2 to 3 minutes after flipped. You may need to lower the heat so the pan doesn’t get too hot and burn the bacon. Once or twice while frying a batch, add a little bit of the excess marinade to help caramelize the bacon. Also add more oil to the pan before frying each batch.

    Step 6

    Remove the fried strips from the pan and set on a plate. Placing the strips on paper towels isn't advised, as they will stick.

    Step 7

    The bacon lasts up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. Warm up leftover strips in the oven or in a pan on the stove before serving with recipes.

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From Hot For Food: Vegan Comfort Classics. Copyright © 2018 by Lauren Toyota. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon.

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