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BACON-WRAPPED GREENS

IT’S CURIOUS THAT CERTAIN DISHES I’VE CREATED ARE INSPIRED BY RANDOM INCIDENTS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH FOOD. I CAME UP WITH THIS RECIPE AFTER SEEING A BEAUTIFUL GREEN AND BURNT ORANGE BRIDAL BOUQUET THAT LOOKED EXQUISITE. IT INSPIRED THESE BUNDLES OF GREEN (VEGGIES) BOUND WITH BURNT ORANGE (BACON) ‘RIBBON’. IT’S A GREAT HIT AT HOME AND GETS MY TWO OLDER BOYS (HUBBY BRIAN AND FIRST-BORN LONWABO) TO EAT THEIR VEGGIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN WRAPPED IN TWO RASHERS OF BACON!

PREPARATION TIME: 10 MIN

COOKING TIME: 5 MIN

SERVES UP TO 6

200g fine green beans, topped

200g broccolini

200g asparagus spears

250g rashers smoked bacon

10ml olive oil

15ml brown sugar

15ml soy sauce

METHOD

Wrap 2 green beans, a long stem broccolini and an asparagus spear tightly in 1 or 2 smoked bacon rashers, and secure firmly with a toothpick.

Repeat until all the greens are tied together with the bacon rashers. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and place the bundles into it.

Lightly sprinkle them with brown sugar and a drizzle of soy sauce. Cook over a high heat, turning until the bacon is cooked all over and golden in colour, and the veggies are still crispy.

Siba’s tip…

Brown sugar, like all sugars, caramelises with heat and in this case it’s used to brown and crispen the bacon quickly. Without it, the veggies would overcook while the bacon is browning. I love the umami flavour one gets from soy sauce, but its purpose here is to counteract the sweetness of the sugar without making the dish too salty.