Billionaire’s Bacon with Ricotta Pancakes and Whiskey Maple Syrup

1. Arrange the rack in the center of the oven and heat to convection bake 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. (If preferred, a baking rack can be placed on the baking sheet). 
2. Place the brown sugar, black pepper, thyme, and cayenne pepper in a bowl and stir to combine. Pour onto a large plate or oven tray and add the slices of bacon. Pat them down into the sugar mixture, flipping them over and repeating until slices are coated in the sugar mixture. Transfer the bacon to the baking sheet and arrange close together in a single layer, making sure the slices do not overlap. 
3. Cook for 15 minutes. Flip the slices and bake until the bacon is crisp but still chewy, deeply caramelized, and the fat is fully rendered, about 10 minutes more. (If using a baking rack, you may not need to flip the slices)
4. Remove the bacon from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes on a rack until the sugar sets slightly. Use tongs to transfer the slices to a baking rack to drain and cool, then transfer clean sheet of parchment paper, finish with a fresh grind of black pepper. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle with maple syrup for extra billionaire effect!

1. In a large bowl using a whisk or in the bowl of a tabletop mixer, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks. Reserve. 
2. Using a separate bowl mix together the egg yolks, ricotta, sugar, zest and fold in the flour. Using a spatula gently fold in the egg whites.
3. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Melt a small amount of butter on the griddle. Spoon the batter evenly onto the skillet or griddle and cook for about 2 minutes on each size or until nicely golden brown.
4. Serve warm with butter, maple syrup or fresh fruit preserve. 

Heat whiskey in a small sauté pan over high heat, flambe is optional. Cook until the alcohol is gone and then add the syrup. Bring to a simmer and shut off. 

Tip and Tricks:

• Treat this as a base recipe and experiment with a variety of spice mixes. The melting and caramelizing sugar provides a perfect sticky coating for all of the spices to adhere to the bacon. Mustard seeds, powdered ginger, chili flakes, fennel seeds, smoked paprika and curry powder, just to name a few, all make for delicious and unique bacon at your next breakfast, lunch or dinner.

• This bacon, with its candied spiced sugar crust, stores very well. Double the recipe and refrigerate half in a Ziploc bag for up to 5 days. It is best eaten warm or at ambient temperature so simply reheat briefly in the microwave or in a low oven. Enjoy it all week; with a couple of fried eggs for a quick and easy breakfast, add to a sandwich for lunch, or chop it up and add to a salad or soup at dinner time.