Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Mochi

The star of the Christmas feast was the Bacon-Wrapped Mochi. I first had it when I went to Izakaya Sozai and didn't really know what to expect. As soon as it was served, I just knew that it would be so simple to make at home. And lo and behold, other people had the same thought. Mochi, or rice cakes as I call them are, are easily found in Korean grocery stores. So grab just three things: bacon, mochi, and toothpicks and grill up these chewy bites of deliciousness.

Bacon-Wrapped Mochi
Inspired by Izakaya Sozai and Adapted from i am a food blog
Serves 30

Ingredients
30 short and thin mochi or rice cake sticks
15 uncooked bacon strips
30 wooden toothpicks

Instructions
Heat up mochi in the microwave for ~20 seconds until slightly softened and easy to pierce with a wooden toothpick.
Cut bacon strips in half and wrap each mochi stick with a piece of bacon. Use wooden toothpick to pierce through the bacon-wrapped mochi so that the bacon stays in place.
Grill bacon-wrapped mochi skewers over medium heat on skillet, flipping regularly until the bacon is crispy and the mochi is puffed up and browned, ~10 minutes.
When it looks well-cooked, turn up the heat to high to give make it extra crispy.
Enjoy hot.