If you can’t tell, I love bacon. I made this last night as a side dish to some Pho Soup. Neil was a big fan of it and I was a fan of how simple it all came together.
3/4 Cup of Lardons (or thick pieces of bacon)
1 whole Cucumber de-seeded , cut lengthwise into quarters and then into 1/2 inch slices
1 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorns
1/2 of a red chilli without seeds sliced
1 star anise
1 Tablespoon of ground nut oil
1 Tablespoon of Shaohsing rice wine
1 Tablespoon of toasted Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons of rice vinegar
Right before serving
Juice of 1 Lime
1/4 Cup of fresh Cilantro
1/4 Cup of honey roasted peanuts
Heat a wok with the ground nut oil and add the peppercorns, star anise, and red chilli and let cook for about 1 minute. Then add the lardons until nice and crispy. Add the Shaohsing rice wine, rice vinegar, and sesame oil and cook for 30 seconds and add the cucumbers and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from wok and place in a bowl, drizzle with lemon juice and top with Cilantro and roasted peanuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Wow, this looks delicious. Do you think this is something I could make at home then bring in for lunch (as it can be serve at room temperature) or would it maybe get soggy?
It does become a little soggy, I made it about 4 hours in advance of serving.