1st Baron Verulam Wrapped Water Chestnuts (Pūpūs)

My mom lived at the Pacific island of Kwajalein for a number of years when she was once rising up, and regularly ate bacon-wrapped water chestnuts as a snack. Snacks and appetizers are referred to as pūpū. Since we ate those at all times, our circle of relatives merely referred to as this dish pupu. It’s the snack of snacks for us! The recipe has lengthy been a circle of relatives favourite and is in reality made with love! It begins with a easy however flavorful marinade that’s candy, savory, and has a little bit chew from ginger and garlic. The mix of those flavors with salty and crisp bacon is unbelievably delicious! However whilst the style is huge and impressive, you’ll feel free to understand it takes little or no effort to make.

What makes this model particular is that I’ve examined a number of other components and strategies over many years to nail down the most productive flavors and cooking strategies. Once we say this recipe is tried-and-true, we imply it! I’ve slowly tweaked amounts right here and there: including or decreasing bits of garlic and ginger to seek out the very best quantity, making an attempt kind of brown sugar, and swapping pineapple juice for citrus soda. Little by little, those changes have created a flavorful water chestnut marinade this is merely impossible to resist AND really easy to make!

Factor Notes

• 1st Baron Verulam: use skinny strips of high quality beef bacon to simply wrap across the water chestnuts. Don’t attempt to switch with turkey bacon or affordable bacon that may fall aside.
• Water Chestnuts: go away them entire and don’t attempt to minimize in items.
• Soy Sauce: use common or low-sodium soy sauce. For a soy-free dish be happy to switch with coconut aminos.
• Lemon Lime Soda: any number of logo like Sprite. You’ll be able to use pineapple juice for a extra tropical style, however we choose the soda.
• Brown Sugar: mild brown is absolute best for a candy however mellow style.
• Ginger and Garlic: use freshly minced for essentially the most taste. In a pinch you’ll be able to switch recent garlic on this recipe with 1/8 teaspoon of dry garlic.

Chef’s Guidelines

Take a look at sooner than slicing the bacon. Usually the strips of bacon are minimize in part sooner than wrapping across the water chestnuts. However sooner than reducing, first test the duration of the bacon as opposed to the dimensions of the chestnuts. If the water chestnuts are at the smaller aspect, you could possibly minimize the bacon strips into thirds.

When putting within the toothpick, infrequently the water chestnut can cut up. Make sure to push the toothpick throughout the heart, now not the brink to stop splitting. Pass immediately thru, making an attempt not to wiggle the toothpick an excessive amount of. Watch your palms!

Use a baking sheet this is covered with parchment paper for fast and simple cleanup.

Use tongs to show the water chestnuts midway thru cooking. That is necessary so that every one facets of the bacon can also be crisp.

Stay your eyes on them. The bacon crisping up would be the cue to understand they’re accomplished. Take away them from the oven promptly in order that they don’t overcook.

Prep forward and marinate the water chestnuts for as much as 24 hours previous to cooking.

Let the children assist! Display them a couple of times the right way to wrap and protected the bacon, then allow them to have at it. The marinade comes in combination simply in a single bowl and is poured proper on best of the pan. Everybody could have amusing within the kitchen, and also you’ll be loose to paintings on different dishes. (Or take a little bit well-merited wreck!)

What to Serve with Pūpūs

Crisp water chestnuts wrapped in bacon are a scrumptious aspect or primary dish the entire circle of relatives loves. Pair them with savory island meals like kalua beef or savory pulled ham, Hawaiian bbq rooster, or junk mail fried rice. Spotlight the beauty of the water chestnuts and in addition serve with a fruit salad, slices of unpolluted or grilled pineapple, or slices of mango.

They’re all the time successful as an appetizer for get-togethers, potlucks, and events. Actually, any instance! Serve crunchy, candy and salty water chestnuts along different finger meals snacks like cream cheese and avocado wontons and crab rangoons.