Smoky bacon buns with date ketchup
Serves: 2
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Smoky bacon buns with date ketchup
Recipe by Sarah Cook
A new take on the breakfast classic
Serves: 2
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
526Kcal
Fat
26gr
Saturates
12gr
Carbs
51gr
Sugars
27gr
Fibre
3gr
Protein
19gr
Salt
3.6gr
Sarah Cook
Sarah, a former food editor, has now been writing and styling recipes for over 10 years. Born in NZ, to Irish-English immigrants, and married to a Polish-Scot, her food is as diverse as her family, with a particular passion for baking mash-ups.
Sarah Cook
Sarah, a former food editor, has now been writing and styling recipes for over 10 years. Born in NZ, to Irish-English immigrants, and married to a Polish-Scot, her food is as diverse as her family, with a particular passion for baking mash-ups.
Ingredients
- 6-8 rashers smoked streaky bacon
- 2 brioche burger buns, split
- 3 tbsp full-fat soft cheese
- 1 large handful leaves, such as rocket or lamb’s lettuce
For the date ketchup
- 6 soft, pitted Medjool dates
- 75g brown sauce
- 2 tbsp very finely diced shallot or red onion
- ⅛ tsp Tabasco sauce (or ¼ tsp sriracha)
Step by step
Kitchen tip
This recipe makes a generous amount of date ketchup, but leftovers will keep in a jar in the fridge for at least two weeks. Try it as a layer in a cheddar cheese toastie or served alongside pork pies or leftover pigs-in-blankets.
- Start with the ketchup. Chop the dates as finely as you can (popping them in the freezer for 10 minutes first makes this a less sticky job). Mix with the brown sauce and shallot or onion in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes over a medium heat until the sauce is thickened, the date chunks are disintegrating and the vinegary flavour of the brown sauce is fading. Off the heat, stir in the Tabasco or sriracha and season with black pepper. Cool quickly by spreading over a plate and putting in the fridge for a few minutes.
- Preheat the grill for the buns. Put the bacon in a cold non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Fry until the rashers are really crispy and golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper.
- If you like, brush the brioche with a little of the bacon fat, before briefly toasting under the grill. ‘Butter’ the buns with the soft cheese.
- Divide the bacon between the bun bases, top with a generous spoonful of the date ketchup, a few leaves and the bun lids.
