Smoked Bacon Lardons 250g

Smoked bacon lardons are the unsung heroes of many dishes, bringing smoky richness, fat, and texture to elevate both simple meals and elaborate feasts. Whether you're preparing classic French recipes, hearty British stews, or adventurous culinary experiments, lardons are an indispensable addition to your kitchen.

Inspired by Chef Valentine Warner: Smoked Bacon Lardons
""Lardon" is a French term for small batons of cured, streaky, and well-fatted bacon, usually smoked. These little flavour bombs typically measure matchstick height and around 1cm in width, though occasionally they can be larger.

Lardons are an essential ingredient in cooking. Replacing them with thinly sliced bacon strips often results in dry, dissolved pieces during long cooking. Lardons, however, retain their fat and structure, bringing unparalleled juiciness and richness to stews, pies, and salads. Cut fresh from the block, they adapt perfectly to the shape and needs of your recipe.

Here are some of my favourite ways to use lardons:

Salads
Crisp up lardons in a frying pan and toss them into a salad of bitter frisée or dandelion leaves. Add a sharp mustard vinaigrette, golden croutons, and a soft-boiled egg, and voilà – a Parisian café-style lunch made simple.

Omelettes
For a quick, savoury breakfast or supper, mix lardons into an onion and mustard omelette.

Alpine Macaroni
Sautéed lardons stirred into a Fontina or aged Gouda cheese sauce with cream, raw garlic, crispy onions, and apple sauce make an unforgettable winter dish.

Rabbit Pie
No wild rabbit pie is complete without lardons. Their fat adds richness while their flavour complements the gamey notes of the rabbit perfectly.

Cep Mushroom Pasties
Combine lardons with ceps, apple, and rough puff pastry for an autumnal treat, ideal for a day in the fields.

Snail Puff Pastry
Braise lardons in red wine and beef stock, add snails, and encase them in puff pastry for a decadent Burgundian delight.

Oeufs en Meurette
A French classic that pairs lardons with pearl onions, mushrooms, and butter-enriched jus, spooned over poached eggs on toast.

Fish Stuffing
Breadcrumbs mixed with lardons, capers, parsley, garlic, and lemon zest create a stuffing that’s perfect for cod or trout.

Vegetable Soups and Stews
Add lardons to vegetable-based soups or stews for an economical way to incorporate meaty depth and richness.

Chicken Leg Braises
Simmer lardons with tomatoes, red wine, shallots, garlic, and parsley to make a rich sauce for braising chicken legs or tossing with snails.

Tartiflette
A cold-weather favourite, tartiflette combines lardons with cream, white wine, Reblochon cheese, and potatoes – the ultimate indulgent comfort food.

Quiche Lorraine
A proper quiche Lorraine relies on lardons, Gruyère cheese, and cream. Without them, it’s just not the same.

Scallop Breakfast
Thanks to Mark Hix visiting me in Norway, I discovered this gem: clean a scallop, return it to its shell, and add fried lardons, a raw egg, butter, garlic, nutmeg, and cream. Bake for a few minutes for what I can only describe as the breakfast of champions – especially with an aquavit-laced coffee on the side."