What to Do with Canadian Bacon?

Friday 12 March 2010
Faced with the end of the week, bottom of the vedge drawer, what to do? But the Farmers' Market had had some nice asparagus (1.69 a lb.), so an idea emerged. We parboiled a mess of potatoes (Kennebecs, long keepers), cut into juliennes. Then add the asparagus, also sliced into slivers. To a frying pan full (or a frying-pan-ful) of the real peameal bacon, likewise cut into little tranches, with some onions, in oil. Added the now-ready potatoes and asparagus, a shot of thyme, salt, then the genius part: after everything was nicely browned on a side and tossed about, we added the last of the (smuggled) cream. The tender potatoes absorbed it all, the starch held it all lightly together. This, though totally seat of the pants, was fabulous—the sort of serendipitous improv that you'd want to recreate, but deliberately this time (or thyme).