This Bacon Is Bananas (I.e. Peels)
Throughout my attempts to turn pruning into a treat, I ran into some problems, but none of them were as complex as the horrible banana peel. While the fruit portion of a banana is delicious, its natural shell just doesn’t peel. Chewing on raw banana peels is extremely frustrating. They are bitter, pliable and leave a strange coating on the tongue.
At first I thought that taking on such a project was my big mistake, but we – and by “we” I mean anyone who read this article of mine three years ago – for a while knew that if you only have an allergy on latex, banana peels are edible and are actually quite common in torans and curries. However, I did not know that they could be turned into something that I would eat with pleasure.
As I mentioned above, the peel itself does not have any charms, so it needs to be carefully processed. My first impulse (which I indulged in) was to fry the peel in bacon fat simply because most foods get 100% better when fried in bacon fat. Frying did improve the texture – they were crispy when chewed lightly, but the bitterness remained. The answer, obviously, was to combat the bitterness of other flavors, namely sugar, salt and umami.
Using Pok Pok fish sauce wings , I covered the fried rind with a mixture of sugar and fish sauce (equal parts by volume), then returned the rind to the pan to reduce the sauce and caramelize. The result was a bunch of chewy little crunchy nuggets that reminded me of candied bacon, and I was very pleased with myself. But if you’re going to work hard to make a batch of fake bacon (obviously fake bacon), you can make it vegetarian so trash lovers of all culinary philosophies can enjoy.
Making banana peel fake-un is a multi-step process. You have to remove the viscous nonsense covering the rind, then saute it and then cover it with sweet-salty syrup before finally finishing in the oven. I used strips rather than bits, mainly because the bits fall through the grate and also because the strips are better for sandwiches.
When the fake was glossy and crunchy, I chopped it into a wedge, ate the wedge, and sent a text image of the wedge to our social media editor, mainly so that he could prepare for an attack by angry predators in his mentions. The sweet and savory crunchies were right at my place on top of my favorite salad, and while I don’t think banana peels will ever replace bacon for me, they will definitely find their place in salads, appetizer mixes, and sandwiches. To make your own fake peeling tips, you will need:
- 2 washed organic banana peels
- 1/4 cup vegetable or grape oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet pepper
- 2 large pinches MSG (optional)
Trim the ends of the peel and use a spoon to scrape off the fibrous white mass that covers the peel. Cut the peel into strips (one peel should make about four strips) and heat 1/4 cup oil over medium to high heat. Once it starts to shimmer, add the rind and fry until slightly airy and golden brown, flipping once to make both sides nice and crispy.
Whisk remaining ingredients in a large bowl while the skins are browning. Pour the toasted peels onto paper towels, then add them to the soy sauce mixture so that they are coated. Place the peel on the wire rack inside the baking sheet, then bake in 375 ℉ oven for five minutes. Place the remaining soy sauce mixture on the rind and cook for a couple more minutes, until the strips are sugar-coated and shiny, but not soggy. Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes to freeze and cool. Eat them as they are, put them in a sandwich, or sprinkle something on top with wild enthusiasm.