Aspara-bacon (アスパラベーコン, bacon-wrapped asparagus)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Takegushi (bamboo skewers), soaked, or metal skewers
• •Shichirin (small charcoal brazier), outdoor grill, or heavy grill pan
• •Small brush for tare

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the skewers

   If you're using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least twenty minutes while you prepare the asparagus. Water slows the scorching long enough for the bacon to cook cleanly. It isn't magic, so keep bare skewer tips away from the fiercest flame. Metal skewers need no soaking.

2. 2

   Trim the asparagus

   Cut away the dry ends of the asparagus, then peel the lower third if the skin feels stringy under the knife. Cut each spear into two pieces about 8 to 9 cm long. Pair one tip piece with one lower piece for each bundle, so every skewer has both sweetness and bite.

   Choose asparagus in 旬 (shun, at its prime): firm stalks, closed tips, and moist cut ends. If the stalks bend like tired string, change the dish. Nothing hidden.
3. 3

   Mix the tare

   Stir together the shōyu, mirin, sake, and sugar until the sugar dissolves. This tare is thin on purpose. It should gloss the bacon at the end, not sit on it like a heavy sauce.

4. 4

   Wrap and skewer

   Lay a half slice of bacon on the board. Set two asparagus pieces across one end and roll snugly, leaving the green tips and cut ends showing. Thread two wrapped bundles onto each skewer, piercing through the bacon seam so the first heat can seal it shut.

   Snug is enough. If you pull the bacon tight like a bandage, it squeezes the asparagus and cooks unevenly. We want a coat, not a trap.
5. 5

   Grill seam-side

   Heat a charcoal grill, gas grill, or grill pan to medium-high. Oil the pan lightly if you're cooking indoors. Lay the skewers seam-side down first and cook for about two minutes, until the bacon browns and releases without tearing. Turn and cook another four to six minutes, moving the skewers away from flare-ups, until the bacon is crisp at the edges and the asparagus is bright green and tender.

6. 6

   Brush and finish

   Brush the skewers lightly with the tare only in the last minute, turning once so both sides catch the glaze. Brush earlier and the mirin and sugar burn before the bacon is ready. Brush late and you get shine, salt, and sweetness in the right order. Serve at once with lemon, and a little shichimi tōgarashi if you like heat.

Chef Tips

• •Use thin bacon. Thick bacon sounds generous, but it makes bad timing: by the time it crisps, the asparagus has gone soft. If thick bacon is all you have, cut it narrower and briefly cook it on one side before wrapping.
• •Don't blanch good slender asparagus for this dish. The grill heat and the bacon fat are enough, and blanching first steals the clean snap you came for.
• •For the shio version served at many counters, skip the tare and finish with a tiny pinch of salt and lemon. That's not a lesser version. It's another honest choice, especially when the asparagus is very sweet.
• •Give the skewers space on the grill. Crowding traps the bacon fat and makes it sag instead of crisp. A little room is technique here, not decoration.

Advance Preparation

• •The tare can be mixed up to three days ahead and refrigerated. Stir before using, because the sugar settles.
• •The asparagus can be trimmed and the bacon cut several hours ahead. Keep them covered and cold.
• •Wrapped skewers can be assembled up to four hours ahead and refrigerated in a single layer. Pat away any surface moisture before grilling so the bacon browns instead of steaming in its own wetness.
• •Cook these just before serving. Reheated bacon loses its clean edge, and the asparagus won't thank you for the second fire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)