I still remember the first time I had Hick’s sausages. I had just moved to Ireland and my husband and I were walking around Dublin one Saturday. We’d passed Magill’s deli on Clarendon Street and had walked a few paces past the open door before we literally stopped in our tracks when the smoky, meaty smell coming from the shop hit us. We promptly backtracked, popping inside to discover an Aladdin’s cave of food, including Hick’s sausages.
I never would have imagined that 10 years later, I’d be staying at the same B&B as Ed Hick himself up in Inishowen in County Donegal, chatting over breakfast, having watched him make fresh black pudding the day before at Inishfood (I also never would have imagined that I’d see a big yellow bucket of fresh blood being turned into black pudding).
Ed Hick’s homemade bacon vodka at Inishfood
At Inishfood, Ed brought a bottle of his homemade bacon vodka to share, which caused a stir (not least because we were knocking back shots of it at 10 in the morning). But that was nothing compared to the buzz he’s created with his bacon jam, or what food writer Corinna Hardgrave called “Ireland’s answer to foie gras”.
Ed Hick, the man behind the jam
It’s safe to say that Ed’s bacon jam was the smash hit success of Bloom. I snapped up my first jar at the Sheridans food fair and lost no time buying a second jar at Bloom before stocks ran out by Saturday afternoon. Just a couple weeks after launching it, it’s already developed something of a cult following, with people going on Twitter to bemoan their already empty jars.
Where the magic happens — the Hicks headquarters in Dún Laoghaire (photo courtesy of Hicks)
The bacon jam has it all — salt (from the bacon), sweet (onion, maple and sugar), sour (vinegar), bitter (coffee) and umami (slow-cooked meat), not to mention the hit on fat receptors from the bacon fat. This little jar packs a punch.
And now for the best part — Ed has a jar of bacon jam up for grabs as a giveaway! For a chance to get your hands on it, just leave a comment telling me how you would use it. Spread on toast and served with eggs? Dolloped on top of scallops? Eaten straight up with a spoon? The giveaway is open to residents of Ireland and the contest will close on Thursday, June 16 at 6:00 p.m. (update: congrats to Darren Bradley, winner of the bacon jam!)
In the meantime, you can find Ed and his range of sausages, and, of course, bacon jam, at the Temple Bar Farmers’ Market in Dublin on Saturdays from 10 a.m. till 4:00 p.m at the Essex Street West location. Bring your empty jar this Saturday (but get there early!) and Ed will even give you a free refill — good news for all the newly created bacon jam fans already hankering for more.
Hicks Traditional Butchers
Rear 15A
Georges Street Upper
Dún Laoghaire
County Dublin
+353 (0)1 284 2700
www.hicks.ie
@edhick
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Ooooh having heard so much about this bacon jam but not yet having got my hands on any I had to put my name in. So what to do…poached eggs, good toasted bread and generous dollops of bacon jam; homemade sausage rolls spread with bacon jam on inside of pastry before filling and cooking; but most likely big chunks of crusty bread and spoonfuls of bacon jam alongside a glass of something sparkling.
It would have to be an old favourite for me. When I was growing up it was a teatime treat that sometimes manifested itself to appear on a Saturday or Sunday brunch time kind of deal. Anyway, I’ll take some of ed’s sausages and fry them up, slice open in half lengthways. Meantime, toast some good bread and spread the bacon jam over the toast and place the sausages on top, cur side down. Then, with some cheese of choice melted over it under a grill, I’d wolf the lot with some great coffee or juice if it was the morning. Failing that, I’d just eat a jar of it with a spoon
I would slice a baguette, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toast in the oven until crisp. Then I’d slather on a nice amount of bacon jam on each slice and top with slow-roasted cherry tomato and pickled onion. I think the tang of the tomato/pickle would work well with the rich bacon jam.
I’d bake a spud, as big as I can find. When its done split it length-ways, scoop out and chop all the flesh but keep the potato skins in tact. Mix the chopped spud with a generous heap of Hick’s Bacon Jam and some sauteed savoy cabbage and pile the mixture back in to the potato skins and tuck in. Slather on a lick of parsley sauce if you that’s your thing. Bacon & cabbage never tasted so good!
My husband says he’d use it like pate on some toast or possibly some crackers, or maybe just maybe with a bit of Applewood Cheddar on crackers.
i would make a red onion & goats cheese pizza with a few dollops of ed’s bacon jam, mmmmmmmmm……………..
Oh I would love to get my hands on this delicacy. I heard so much about it!! I would eat it with a nice slice (or two) of warm homemade sourdough bread.keep it simple to enjoy all the flavours. Then I would eat it with a nice bit of cheese like Brie or comte.
I love love love bacon I’m so happy to hear of bacon jam!!! It sounds delicious!!
Firstly I think I’d dive straight in with a spoon just for a taste ya know
. Then I think I’d spread it on crackers with cheddar cheese. Yummy!!
This bacon jam seems to be the stuff of legends! I’m a massive fan of salty and sweet together, so I’m pretty sure this little lot would have to be spread on breakfast pancakes : bacon, maple syrup and coffee? It’s practically breakfast in a jar
Ever since I heard of this amazing Bacon Jam I can’t stop imagining it smeared liberally over a thick layer of tangy cream cheese sitting atop a toasted bagel – perfect for breakfast, lunch and tea. Yummmmm.
Toasted cinnamon and raisin bagel, lightly scrambled egg and the bacon jam smack bang in between. Perfect Sunday breakfast tonic for a morning like this morning (absolutely milling rain). Could be!
Just had some smothered on a corn fritter. Oh boy!
I’m going to pork up tonight’s dinner by cooking some gorgeous free-range Irish pork chops & then loading a generous layer of my very precious Bacon Jam on top.
And some more jam on brown bread with cheese. simple and divine.
I’d first have it on toast, and then play around with it. Maybe add a spoonful to a pan juice sauce for roast pork? I do like the scallops idea as well. Punch up some simple white fish as well. Oh! OH! Right, I’d put it on some white fish, then batter the fish and fry. OMG, that would be amazing.
Hmmm I think I’d use homemade chips to transport jam to mouth
I’d spread some over chicken wings and bake or bbq! Nom.
ohhhh i dont know! loadsa things pop into my head!
sourdough bread with tomatoes and bacon jam mmmmmmm
or on a bagel with cream cheese!
ohhh i would love to get my grubby little mitts on some of this! other wise i am going to have to give it a go myself – and i cant imagine it will be 1/2 as yummy! must get planning a trip back to dalkey so i can pop to dun laoghaire!
For the 20-mile cookalong I paired the bacon jam with cod and fresh horseradish. Really delicious combination, but I think it needs some tweaking, which means I need more bacon jam for my research!
I think to do it the honour it deserves, I’d take a home-made cheddar and sun-dried tomato scone, topped with luscious clotted cream, adorned with a dollop of your bacon jam and the barest hint of maple syrup! Ahh, simply devine!!
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