These Bacon-Wrapped Banana Slices Are Self-Care

Bacon makes everything better. I’m certainly not the first to say this, but this salty, smoked, meat strip is hard to resist. However, the bacon seems to have met its match. Banana and his cousins ​​do everything better too. Fortunately for us, they are not enemies. In fact, combined, they make up the best snack I’ve had all week. Air-fried bacon-wrapped banana slices hold a symphony of complementary flavors and I would serve them to any party.

I have a quirky eye for flavor combinations, but before that, I had never taken banana and bacon seriously as a couple until I was at a wedding in Brazil and tried a small cup of sweet plantain puree with chopped jerky. Perhaps it was beef. Perhaps it was pork. I may have had a few caipirinhas. I fed myself three (snack sized servings) because everyone else was sleeping on this amazing concoction. On paper, I was confused by this combination, but for my taste, nothing could be clearer. The little bite was a whirlwind of sweet, earthy, creamy fruit puree with chewy, salty, smoked meat strips.

All those bold flavors and contrasting textures come through in these banana and bacon slices. They may not be as elegant as purees, but they make up for it in speed and simplicity. The only thing you need to do is roll the banana in bacon. An air fryer will do this quickly, but if you don’t have one, you can use a regular oven.

Preheat the deep fryer or oven and peel the bananas. I cut the banana into segments to fit the width of my bacon strips and ended up with five banana pieces per fruit. Each segment uses half a slice of bacon, but this may vary slightly depending on the size of any ingredient. You need a little overlap after the bacon surrounds the banana. You can use a toothpick to poke through the overlapping strip so it doesn’t unravel while cooking, but I made one without the toothpick and laid it seam side down and it didn’t fray. (Refusal of the toothpick at your own risk.)

Place the bacon-wrapped banana pieces in the deep fryer, or on a foil-lined baking sheet if you’re using a conventional oven (place a wire rack inside the baking sheet if you want to keep the pieces from tipping over). Cook according to the times shown below.

Let cool for at least five minutes, as the banana will be real magma straight out of the oven. You can add or subtract a few minutes from the recommended baking time depending on how crispy you like the bacon. I like a lot of crunch so I go for all the time. The banana becomes soft, creamy and caramelized around the edges, and as a result of cooking, it acquires a slight acidity. Bacon is all you want, salty, deeply smoky, chewy and crunchy. Prepare them for an everyday snack, a New Year’s Eve party, or even a wedding if you like. At some point I became a complete Elvis? Yes. They are also good with a dab of peanut butter.

Banana bites with bacon

Ingredients:

• 2 large bananas, cut into 1- to 1.5-inch-wide segments
• 5 strips of bacon, cut in half lengthways

Set the fryer to 350°F on the “air fry” setting. If using a conventional oven, line a baking sheet with a piece of foil and the optional rack and preheat the oven to 400°F.

Wrap each banana segment in a bacon half. Secure the bacon with a toothpick through the overlapping seam. If you don’t have toothpicks, place the banana and bacon pieces, seam side down, on a wire rack or baking sheet. Air roast at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or bake at 400°F in a conventional oven for 35-40 minutes, half-turning for both cooking methods.

Let appetizers cool on a wire rack or paper towel for five minutes before serving. Best eaten right away, but can be refrigerated and reheated in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes.