Zacchary Bird
Zacchary Bird
The vegan butcher, the vegan baker and the vegan trouble maker.

This recipe is out of my second cookbook The Vegan Butcher - snazzy second edition out now!

Danish couple Karina and Kasper (the veganer.nu blog) originated the insane rice paper bacon concept as an accessible DIY bacon alternative in response to the high volumes of bacon produced in Denmark. To get perfect strips and avoid breaking the paper when cutting, they recommend you ‘leave your open bags of rice paper in the fridge 24 hours. Alternatively, quickly soak and place the rice paper on a wooden cutting board then cut them with a pizza cutter when they are soft enough’. Bacon seems to be the go-to reason people just couldn’t possibly be vegan, so here’s how to make it out of rice paper and just about anything else but pigs.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

  • 2 tablespoons mushroom soy sauce or dark soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked or hot paprika onion powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • canola oil, for deep-frying

  • vegan-friendly red food colouring for drama (optional)

VEGAN BACON GUIDE

MAKING PLANT BASED BACON OUT

OF JUST ABOUT ANYTHING


To begin, combine the bacon marinade ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Carrot bacon (crunchy)

Peel carrots, then square them off with a knife to make a rectangle. Quarter lengthways to make bacon strips and microwave for 11⁄2 minutes. Place in a container, pour over marinade, cover and marinate in the fridge overnight. Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 45–60 minutes.

Zucchini bacon (chewy)

Slice the top, bottom and skin of one side off each zucchini, then run a vegetable peeler down the exposed side to create thick strips. Brush the marinade (about 60 ml (1/4 cup) per zucchini) over both sides of each strip. Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 30 minutes or until desired crispiness.

Eggplant bacon (chewy)

Slice the eggplant into slabs no thicker than 1.5 cm (1⁄2 in), then into 4 cm (11⁄2 in) strips. Brush the marinade over both sides of each strip. Bake at 130°C (250°F) for 45 minutes.

Daikon bacon (crispy)

Slice off the top and bottom, then peel the daikon. Run a vegetable peeler down one side to create thick strips. Salt the daikon strips and sit for 30 minutes. Wipe away the moisture and salt with paper towel. Brush the marinade (about 60 ml or 1/4 cup per daikon) over both sides of each strip. Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 30 minutes or until desired crispiness.

Rice Paper (chewy)

Wet a sheet of rice paper under running water, then wipe away the excess water with your hand. Spread some marinade over a plate, lay the dampened rice paper on top and coat the exposed side with more marinade. Cut into 4–5 strips with scissors and fry in hot canola oil for 1–2 minutes per side until they harden.

Rice Paper (chewy)

Follow the crispy rice paper instructions using 2–3 sheets of rice paper wet together before marinating and frying.

Yuba (crispy)

Use wet yuba for this recipe. Cut into 4–5 strips, brush with the marinade and fry in hot canola oil for 3–4 minutes until crisp.

Tempeh bacon (chewy)

Slice the tempeh into thin strips and marinate for an hour. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes or fry for 10 minutes in hot canola oil.

King oyster mushroom bacon (chewy)

Slice off the cap and end of the mushroom, then run a vegetable peeler or a knife down the mushroom stalk to make six strips. Prepare the marinade without the oil, add the strips and marinate for an hour. Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 40 minutes or fry for 5–7 minutes in hot canola oil.

Crispy coconut bacon (crunchy)

Stir 60 ml (1/4 cup) of marinade into 55g (1 cup) of dry coconut chips. Spread out on a lined baking tray and bake at 175°C (340°F) for 10 minutes. Use as crunchy bacon to top salads like Caesar salad on page XX, baked potatoes or as a ready snack.