Asparagus And Double Smoked Bacon Popover Recipes

BACON WRAPPED ASPARAGUS BUNDLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven, if using, to 400 degrees F.
• Lightly coat asparagus spears in extra-virgin olive oil. Season the asparagus with black pepper. Take a quick count of the spear tips. Divide the total number by four. Gather that number of spears and use a slice of bacon to wrap the bundle and secure the spears together. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• To grill, place bundles on hot grill and cover. Cook 10 to 12 minutes until bacon is crisp and asparagus bundles are tender.
• For oven preparation, place bundles on slotted broiler pan. Bake 12 minutes.

SIMPLE SMOKED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Add wood chips according to manufacturer's directions.
• Place asparagus inside a disposable foil pan. Drizzle oil, salt, and pepper over the top. Toss to coat.
• Place the pan on the smoker rack and smoke for 30 minutes.

FRIED ASPARAGUS WITH BACON

Steps:

• Cook and stir bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Discard grease.
• Melt butter in the same skillet.
• Cook and stir asparagus and shallot with salt and black pepper in melted butter and bacon. Cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer asparagus mixture to a platter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

ASPARAGUS AND CHEESE POPOVER WITH SPICY HERB OIL

Steps:

• For the oil: In a medium bowl, mix together the chiles, basil, mint and parsley. Add in the oil and season with salt and pepper.
• For the popover: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and line a plate with paper towels.
• Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, add the asparagus and cook until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes, depending on size. Drain, drop into the ice bath and dry on the prepared plate.
• Whisk together the eggs and milk until smooth. Slowly whisk in the flour and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle the egg mixture with some salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup of the fontina cheese.
• Using pot holders, carefully remove the pan from the oven. Add the butter to the hot pan and stir until melted. Arrange the asparagus in the bottom of the pan and then season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the remaining fontina and the Parmesan on top, and put it back in the oven until the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with some of the herb oil. Serve immediately.

PAT'S BACON WRAPPED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat your grill to medium-high direct heat.
• Trim the asparagus of the woody ends. Place on a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt.
• Wrap bacon slices around each asparagus spear. Skewer both ends of asparagus on each side to secure the bacon. Add 3 to 4 asparagus to each skewer.
• Grill skewers on direct heat until the asparagus is tender and the bacon is crisp about 15 minutes; halfway through the grilling flip the asparagus. Transfer to a platter, remove the skewers and serve.

ASPARAGUS FRIES & BACONNAISE

Steps:

• Separate one of the three eggs for the asparagus. Put the white in a bowl with the remaining two eggs, beat with a fork and set aside until needed. Now, make the baconnaise. Chop the bacon as finely as possible. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and stir over a low heat for 15 mins, so it ends up sizzling in its own fat and becomes brown and crisp. Sit a metal sieve over a jug and tip the bacon into the sieve - you need about 200ml of fat in total, so top up the bacon fat with extra oil as necessary. Leave to cool for 10 mins.
• Tip the egg, egg yolk and mustard into a bowl, whisk to combine, then slowly add the bacon fat and oil mixture - first a drop at a time, then gradually quicker when it starts to come together. (You can also make this in a mini chopper, by blitzing the egg and mustard then slowly adding the oil with the blade running.) Once you have a thick mayonnaise, add the vinegar and chopped bacon, and season to taste. Can be made up to three days ahead and kept in the fridge.
• For the asparagus, snap off or trim the woody ends (save for making stock or soup). Get out three shallow dishes and tip the flour into one, the reserved beaten eggs into another, and the parmesan and breadcrumbs into the third. Dip the asparagus in the flour, then the egg, then the cheesy breadcrumbs, and put on a plate. Can be prepared the day before, covered and kept in the fridge.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Drizzle the oil over a baking tray (a sturdy Swiss roll tin is ideal) and heat in the oven. Once the oil is hot, carefully lay the asparagus spears in it, then turn them. Make sure they are in one layer, then roast for 20 mins, turning halfway through, until the crumbs have browned to a crisp coating. Leave until just cool enough to pick up, then serve with the baconnaise for dipping.