Recipe: Tenderstem Broccoli and Broad Beans, with Mint and Bacon

This is a tasty little side dish, made with tender green vegetables, smoky bacon, and fresh mint. I get the "Tenderstem" Broccoli from Waitrose- I have heard it called other things before, such as Broccolini and longstemmed broccoli, so you might find it in another supermarket under a different name. Oh and also, you don't have to pod the broad beans if you don't want to- I do it because a) it makes the colour of the dish look more green and b) I find podding broad beans very relaxing. It's because i used to have to pod kilograms and kilograms of the things at my first commis chef job at Strada, and I really really loved that job. My first job, even after working at all these different places, is still my favourite.

Tenderstem Broccoli and Broad beans with mint and bacon (serves 2 as a side dish)

125g tenderstem broccoli, spears halved
125g frozen broad beans, defrosted then “podded”
1 thick slice smoked back bacon, diced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Squeeze of lemon
Handful fresh mint, finely chopped
Pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste

1. Steam the tenderstem broccoli for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a non-stick frying pan, fry the bacon until beginning to brown.
2. Add the steamed tenderstem and all the other ingredients to the bacon, stir fry around until everything is well coated for a couple of minutes, season to taste, and serve!