Coconut Bacon

So last weekend Kelly was in Montreal and she went to a restaurant called Aux Vivres. This restaurant is all vegan and she ordered a BLT. The "B" in the BLT was actually coconut bacon. When she told me about it I was skeptical. She claimed it tasted like bacon and it was delicious. She told me I should find out how to make it.
 

 

 Well I started surfing and discovered a handful of recipes on the internet for coconut bacon. There are 2 key ingredients that are a little difficult to find in a regular grocery store. One is Liquid Smoke. I did find this Encore brand at Loblaws and I did see it in Bruno's as well. It does come in different flavours. Hickory is what I bought but I also saw Mesquite and did read that Applewood is also available. I found in the section where you would find Worchestershire and Tobasco sauce.

 The second ingredient is unsweetened flaked coconut. This was trickier. I did ask on a chat forum here in Toronto and was told I could find it in Kensington Market. A trip to Kensington from our place is not so easy so I went on a search of the neighbourhood. After visiting 3 stores I found it at a small independent bulk store next to Price chopper on Dundas West between Jane Street and Runnymede. Seeing as it was difficult to find I thought it was going to be expensive but a bag of approx 4 cups cost a $1.75.I also read that Bob's Red Mill brand makes this product but I was unable to find it.

 I headed home with my ingredients and I was still thinking this is very weird and there is no way it is going to actually taste like bacon. I had Rick and Tammy coming for lunch and they were going to be my guinea pigs. It took me no more than 10 minutes to cook 2 cups worth of the coconut bacon. When I taste tested it I was very surprised. It really does have a crispy texture and smoky bacon like flavor. This stuff is genius.

I made my own version of a BLT wrap. Rick and Tammy knew that it wasn't bacon but were unable to guess what it really was. We all enjoyed the lunch thoroughly.

Here a a few tips to keep in mind when making this recipe. One is keep a close eye on it when it is in the oven. The coconut will burn quickly and every oven is different. Two don't over dress the coconut in the sauce. You don't want it to be completely saturated you just want a light coating over all the flakes. Three is to be sure to get UNSWEETENED coconut.

Here is the recipe I found:

2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
1 T liquid smoke
2 T soy sauce
1 T water

Set oven to 400 degrees. I used a stone or you can use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

Whisk together the liquid smoke, soy sauce and water in a large bowl. Add the coconut a gently mix til all flakes are evenly coated. Spread the mixture evenly onto the sheet pan and bake in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. As it cools it crisps up. You can store it in an airtight container for up to a week but it will lose some of its crispness. It is best to make it on demand as it is so simple.