KASHA WITH BACON AND ONIONS

Kasha with Bacon and Onions image

A somewhat more elaborate procedure than the preceding recipe, to be sure, but super in flavor. See the excellent variation as well. This is practically a main course, good with a vegetable dish and a salad.

Yield makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups kasha
1 tablespoon lard or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound good-quality slab bacon, minced
1 large onion, diced
Salt and black pepper to taste

Steps:

Bring about 1 quart water (or, if you have it, stock) to a boil. Rinse the kasha in a strainer. Put the lard in a deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. A minute later, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove it with a slotted spoon, add the onion, and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; keep separate from the bacon so the bacon will remain crisp.
Add the kasha, along with some pepper, and cook, stirring, until the mixture smells toasty, about 3 minutes. Carefully add 3 cups of the boiling water, turn the heat to low, then cover and cook for about 15 minutes. If the liquid is absorbed and the kasha is tender but not mushy, it's done. If liquid remains, cook it a little more; if the mixture is dry and the kasha undercooked, add a little more water.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in most of the bacon and onion, then garnish with the remaining bacon and onion and serve.
Soak a small handful of dried porcini in hot water. When they're tender, drain them, reserving their soaking liquid. Cook them with 1/2 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced, as you do the bacon in step 1, increasing the fat (use butter or olive oil) to 2 tablespoons; remove when they are lightly browned. Cook the kasha as above, using about a cup of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid in place of water. Stir in the mushrooms and serve.