Bacon Jam Marinated Portabella Mushroom Totem Poles with Blue Crab Slaw

BACON JAM MARINATED PORTABELLA MUSHROOM TOTEM POLES WITH BLUE CRAB SLAW
(COMPLIMENTS OF DRUSILLA’S CHEF SONNY-BATON ROUGE; OWNER-JIMMY ZITO)
BACON JAM:
1 lb. thick apple smoked bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T. minced garlic
½ green bell pepper, chopped
½ c. white wine
1 (12-oz.) jar apple jelly

1. Saute the bacon, onion, garlic and bell pepper in large skillet over medium heat.
2. When bacon is cooked, add the wine to deglaze the pan. Reduce mixture.
3. After mixture reduces, add the apple jelly.
4. Simmer 5-8 minutes and let rest.
5. Pour the hot liquid in canning jars. Reserve.
   TOTEM POLES:
   12-15 portabella mushroom caps, gills removed, cut into 2” pieces
   12-15 (6”) wooden skewers
6. Cut the mushroom caps into 2” pieces and place on the 6” wooden skewers. SOAK THE WOODEN SKEWERS IN WATER FOR 10-15 MINTUES. THIS KEEPS THEM FROM BURNING.)
7. You will use about 1 mushroom per skewer.
8. Place skewers in a glass dish and cover with some of the BACON JAM and marinate overnight.
   SLAW:
   4 oz. Mascarpone cheese
   Juice and zest of 2 lemons
   1 t. Sriracha
   4 oz. mayo
   3 green onions, finely chopped
   2 oz. purple cabbage
   2 oz. sun flower seeds
   2 lbs. jumbo lump crabmeat, picked
9. Mix all the ingredients except crabmeat. Taste for seasoning.
10. Gently fold in crabmeat, again taste for seasoning. Do this at least 1 hour before serving.
11. Place the skewers in a shallow pan. Brush with more of the BACON JAM.