Chef Christopher Murray will tell you hard work pays off, and looking back over his career, you can see that it has shaped his path. A dishwashing job while he attended Easton High School eventually led him to his current position as executive chef of The Bayou in Easton. If you would have asked him as a teenager what he wanted to pursue as a career, he would have answered law enforcement—but the encouragement from his peers and the adrenaline of a busy night on the line called his name. Murray has worked under some prominent and talented chefs in the Lehigh Valley, getting inspired and learning from them as he went along. Murray started at The Bayou in Easton right before the pandemic hit. “It was certainly an unprecedented time, but The Bayou stayed open for takeout from the very start and we are now busier than ever,” he says.
The dish that he is sharing here takes at-home comfort food to the next level. “Everyone always has bacon, parmesan cheese and eggs in their fridge and pasta in their pantry,” he says, “and that's what makes this dish my go-to favorite.” Murray loves the creativity that comes with being in the kitchen—crafting something delicious out of fresh ingredients. He prides himself on his strong relationships with local farmers and suppliers, but it is truly the satisfaction that comes along with making his customers happy and the reward of them loving his food that drives him.
64 Centre Sq., Easton | 610.829.1700 | datbayoulv.com
Ingredients
- 1lb. dried bucatini pasta (he recommends the brand Vicidomini)
- 1lb. sliced bacon
- 1 large Spanish onion, diced
- 10 eggs
- 2 cups parmesan, grated
- 2 cups Pecorino Romano, grated
- Fresh cracked pepper, coarsely ground
Instructions
Start by boiling your water for the pasta—the amount of water should be at least four times the amount of pasta you have, so for one quart of pasta you would want at least four quarts of water. For best results, your water should never stop boiling until you shut it off.
Next, begin cutting the bacon into half-inch pieces. If you cut it a little too big, that's OK—the bacon will shrink up when you render the fat. Transfer the cut bacon to a large sauté pan, adding a little oil so it doesn't stick, and cook on medium-high heat. Remember to continually stir and move the bacon so it doesn't stick or burn.
Time to separate the eggs. Six yolks are needed in the beginning for the sauce (the other four will be for plating).
Begin to dice the onion into quarter-inch pieces. While you are doing this, your bacon should be about 75 percent of the way done and the pasta water should be boiling. When that happens, it is time to add the onions to your pan, with bacon moving around ever so slightly. Drop your pasta into the boiling pot of water, stirring and moving immediately every minute or so until al dente (firm to the tooth). Remove from heat but do not drain.
Now, it's time to build your sauce. Start by taking 6 ounces of the water used to cook the pasta and add to the bacon and onion mixture. This will cool the pan off enough to emulsify your six egg yolks into it, which means to cook without scrambling (tempered). Once yolks are added, add in one cup of the grated parmesan and one cup of the Pecorino Romano.
At this point, the bacon-onion mixture should be an almost creamy consistency—and make sure you did not scramble the eggs.
Start to pull the pasta out of the water and add into the bacon-onion mixture—just ever so slightly bringing a little water with it. Once all the pasta is in, toss in a half cup of both cheeses, mixing thoroughly.
At this point, the pasta should be coated in the sauce but not dripping off. Plate in four separate bowls, leaving a cavity in the tops. Separate the remaining four eggs placing a yolk in each cavity. Garnish each dish with the remaining cheeses and fresh cracked pepper.
Tag @lvstylemag and #livelvstyle when you make it at home!
