I am all for shortcuts.
If I can make a dish in under 30 minutes that fills not just my belly but also my soul, it is a winner in my book. Many years ago when I used to eat Bacon, this Bacon & Tomato hash was my go-to dish. The fat in the pork and the tangy tomatoes made a delicious mess that I scooped up with crusty bread more times than I remember.
Then I stopped having Bacon and meat in general and this dish was relegated to the list of forgotten dishes. However, now that I am occasionally eating meat again, I have had to bring this dish back and every time I make it I remember how easy it is to put together.
This is a Nigella Lawson recipe and like most of her recipes is uncomplicated and can be customized to suit your taste. The Bacon cooks in its fat making the dish incredibly addictive. If you are an Egg lover you can crack a few eggs on top, if you like potatoes, some deep-fried potatoes go well and so does a can of beans. I have an Egg intolerance so they are out of the question for me and I can't be bothered boiling and then frying potatoes.
The original recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce but I like to use Harissa which adds a bit of sweet smokiness to this dish. Don't be afraid to add chilli flakes or pepper to make the resulting dish fiery.
Ingredients - Cooking time 15 minutes
4 rashers streaky bacon
2 - 3 chopped garlic
2 - 3 roughly chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp Harissa paste Or Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Chilli flakes
Salt to taste (Be careful as the Bacon will also be salty)
Method :
Cut each piece of bacon into 3 or 4 pieces.
Fry the bacon on its own in a nonstick pan until crispy (the bacon will also give up flavorful fat of its own). Remove the bacon on a piece of kitchen towel.
Add the diced tomatoes, in the pan with the fat from the Bacon and a bit of Salt so the tomatoes can start to sweat.
Add the Harrisa paste or Worcestershire sauce and stir again, then put the bacon back into the pan, mixing it into the tomato.
Crack a few Eggs or Beans if using and cook till the Eggs are done before serving on a plate.
Garnish with some parsley and freshly ground black pepper and chilli and serve with bread to dip in the juices.