Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional) and slide the rack into the middle.
- Stuff each date with a Parmesan stick if you like and wrap it in a piece of bacon. Secure with a wooden skewer or cocktail stick.
- Place the dates side by side on a baking tray with a little space between them and bake in the middle of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn with tongs halfway through, until the bacon is crisp all over.
- Drain briefly on kitchen paper and serve warm.
Drink with it
Fortified wine · excellent match
Amontillado or dry Oloroso, lightly chilled
Nutty, oxidative notes mirror the date and the smoke of the bacon, while the salty dryness of the sherry links up with the bacon and Parmesan.
Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and VintageSherry-cask whisky · excellent match
Sherry-cask whisky, neat or with a splash of water
Dried fruit and spice from the sherry cask mirror the date, and the smokiness of the bacon suits the oak note.
What Does the Cask Do to Whisky?Sparkling wine · good match
Brut Cava or Crémant
Bubbles and acidity cut through the bacon fat and stand up to the sweetness of the dates.
Sparkling wine, Champagne, and Prosecco: what's the difference?Aged tequila · good match
Reposado, neat in a small glass
Caramel and woody spice in the Reposado mirror the sweetness of the dates and the smoke of the bacon; unusual, but harmonious.
Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo: what aging changesDark beer · good match
Dark lager or Bock, cool
Roasted malt picks up the bacon, carbonation cuts the fat, and the malt sweetness goes with the date.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecue