Working on recipes is always an interesting process. The idea was litchi bacon. We had beautiful, fresh fruit to work with and we wanted to pair it with those smoky, meaty flavors without overwhelming the delicate nature of the litchi. We tossed the peeled fruit, still attached to the seed, with a blend of smoked soy sauce, rose water, smoked balsamic, muscovado sugar, and a touch of cayenne. This was vacuum sealed and cured for twelve hours. The results were unique in that we had this very ethereal floral fruit flavor that had married with a bit of smoke, spice, acid, and umami without losing its own personality. Instead, the additional flavors underlined the litchi’s subtle complexity and allowed the fruit to shine.
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