I am trying to cook some new recipes and have been experimenting with a few I have found online. I saw that THIS has released quite a few new products recently, and I had a craving for a carbonara and thought that these bacon lardons would be the perfect addition.
The packet comes as two separate packets, I assume for serving purposes? As I was cooking for myself and my husband, I used both packets, but I can see how one would be enough for one person. I also did appreciate that the servings were separated out, as there is nothing worse than trying to keep half an open packet sealed enough so that it doesn’t go off the next day! I didn’t see anything on the packaging to suggest that these separate portions were done to prevent food waste, but that’s what I would like to think the reasoning was. Either way, helpful, and I hope more companies start doing this more.
Taste wise these taste just like you want bacon to taste – a little smoky and a little bit salty. When mixed with the carbonara, the flavours were still very strong and they tasted excellent in the dish. The texture was a little bit chewy, which I think will be a personal preference rather than anything else. I personally really liked that they were chewy, as it helped to break up the softness of the sauce and the pasta quite nicely, but I can see why the texture could be a little bit off putting to some people, especially if you have any sort of texture aversions. They were very easy to cook though, only needing to be fried in a pan for about 5mins. I’m sure if you wanted a more smoky flavour, you could likely cook them for a little longer so they get a little bit burnt on the outside, but for me the flavour was perfect after 5 mins.
The packet was £3, and comes with two servings. I do think these are a great addition to a dish, but I also do think that £3 is quite expensive for a product that you can’t really eat on it’s own. Also, I do feel like this is slightly more expensive due to how convenient the packets are. Yes, you could buy bacon slices (such as the THIS isn’t bacon, or the Richmond bacon slices) for £2 and simply cook these as needed and chop them as required for your recipe, but those are also extra steps for a recipe that I know I would rather avoid if it can be helped. Whilst I don’t mind cooking, the thing that always ruins the experience for me is how much time it seems to take to cook anything, especially when I am already so busy with life as it is. Anything that helps me cook a meal quicker is great in my opinion, and I think that’s why I would likely choose these again over the cheaper versions as I appreciate the convenience. Of course that is fully my opinion and my preference, and you may try these and decide that these aren’t worth the extra money.
Taylor Talks Vegan 