Bacon Marmalade

Remove the zest from the Seville orange and set aside (see note). You should have about 1.5 tbsp. Once you've finished zesting the orange, cut it in half and squeeze out the juice. Strain the seeds and set the juice aside - you should have about 1/3 cup (80 ml).

Heat a large cast iron skillet (or other heavy-bottomed pan) over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the bacon is a just a little bit crispy (about 6-7 minutes - longer if your pan is smaller and the bacon is crowded). Once the bacon is finished, remove it from the pan and set it aside to drain on a plate with some paper towel. Pour off the bacon fat and reserve 1.5 tbsp for the next step.

Add the onions to the pan along with 1.5 tbsp bacon fat. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and just starting to brown a little. Add the orange zest, orange juice, spices, brown sugar, and reserved (drained) bacon. Stir to combine.

Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and allow the onions to caramelize. This should take between 20 and 30 minutes. Stir occasionally (every 5 minutes or so) to ensure that everything is cooking evenly. If the pan begins to look too dry or the onions look like they're in danger of scorching, add a splash of water and/or little bit more bacon fat. Once the jam is thick and an even golden brown colour, remove it from heat.

For a coarse, chunky jam/marmalade, you can leave the mixture as is. If you want to make the mixture into a spread (as I did), transfer the contents to a small food processor and blitz until the bacon and onions relatively small but still distinguishable. You want a spread with nice crispy and soft little bits, rather than a smooth paste.

Serve bacon marmalade warm with toast, eggs, cheese, or just a spoon. Leftovers (if there are any) will keep in the fridge for several weeks and can be frozen for up to 6 months.