Bacon and asparagus hash – a dream come true!

Dreams are strange things.  Martin Luther King dreamt about changing the world.  I dream about new recipes.  How sad is that!  This recipe was literally dreamt up.  When I told my husband about it he said how good it sounded so I decided to give it a go.  It was absolutely delicious and we will definitely be having it again.

I love hash of any description.  I have published a corned beef hash and a mushroom hash previously on my blog.  I suppose this one is not significantly different in methodology but the combination of flavours is exquisite.  A few days earlier I had made a spaghetti dish with bacon and asparagus.  Maybe that is what triggered the dream.  Whatever it was, it was I will be eternally grateful.

According to Wikipedia, dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions and sensations  that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. There have been umpteen studies and theories about dreams but , it is fair to say, that the content and purpose of dreams is still not definitively understood. The scientific study of dreams is called oneirology.

Dreams mainly occur in the rapid-eye movement (REM) stage of sleep—when brain activity is high and resembles that of being awake. REM sleep is revealed by continuous movements of the eyes during sleep. At times, dreams may occur during other  sleep stages. However, these dreams tend to be much less vivid or memorable. Dreams can last for a few seconds, or as long as twenty minutes. People are more likely to remember the dream if they are awakened during the REM phase.

Apart from humans, animals have dreams.  I remember when I was young, my dog, Lassie, used to sometimes twitch and make funny little noises in her sleep.  Mum used to say she was catching rabbits.

Anyway, enough of dreams.  Here is the recipe I dreamt about.

Bacon and asparagus hash                       Serves 2 (easily doubled)

• 6 slices of streaky bacon or pancetta, rind removed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 onion, sliced thinnly
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, sliced and seeds removed
• 10 asparagus tips
• 4-5 New Potatoes (Charlotte are good) peeled and sliced (about 1/4 inch)
• 100g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 eggs

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 5 minutes or until just tender.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. 
2. Boil the asparagus in the water left in the pan for 3 minutes.  Remove and put in iced water immediately to stop the cooking process.
3. Fry the bacon in a non-stick pan until brown. Remove and set aside.
4. Add 1 tsp olive oil to the frying pan and fry the onions over a medium heat until softened.  Add the chilli and garlic towards the end.
5. Add the mushrooms  and bacon to the onions and continue to cook for about 3 minutes until the mushrooms are softened.  Add the potato and carefully combine.  Cook for about 5 minutes, turning frequently.  If it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan add a little more oil.
6. Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil.  Add a pinch of salt and a little white wine vinegar.  Poach the eggs for 3 minutes. 
7. Add the asparagus to the hash and carefully combine.
8. Divide the hash between two plates and top with the poached egg.

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Related articles

• Mushroom hash – perfect with a fried egg! (tastyadvice.wordpress.com)
• Corned beef hash with a kick – a great supper dish! (tastyadvice.wordpress.com)
• Spaghetti with bacon and asparagus – fantastic! (tastyadvice.wordpress.com)

Tags: Asparagus, Bacon, Wikipedia