Strips of bacon and puff pastry are wrapped in alternating fashion around each asparagus spear before baking to make this special occasion appetizer or snack.
Cook’s notes
For special occasions only? Well, these bacon asparagus puff pastry spirals are a bit challenging to make especially in warm weather. The bacon fat can make the rashers slippery and difficult to handle. The puff pastry will also thaw too fast if the indoor temperature is enough to make you perspire. If it never gets that hot in your part of the world, congratulations, you can make this lovely dish any time of the year.
Handling puff pastry
Note that you cannot roll frozen puff pastry. It needs to thaw a bit to make it pliable. But you don’t want it to soften all the way either because it will break when cut intro strips. How early you should take it out of the freezer depends on how hot it is in your kitchen.Baking time
Note also that ovens behave differently. A fan assisted-oven will brown the puff pastry and bacon faster than a traditional oven. Check after 20 minutes to see how the bacon puff pastry asparagus spirals are doing. If they still look pale, bake for another five to ten minutes.Bacon asparagus puff pastry spirals
Ingredients
- 15 asparagus spears (baby asparagus is NOT recommended)
- 8 fatty bacon rashers
- 1 four-inch block puff pastry
- all-purpose flour for dusting
- 1 egg beaten with generous pinches of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Rinse the asparagus spears and dry with a kitchen towel.
- Take an asparagus and bend to break off the tough woody end.
- Repeat with the rest of the asparagus spears. Discard the woody ends.
- Cut each bacon rasher horizontally into two portions.
- Take an asparagus spear and roll a strip of bacon around it diagonally. Make sure that there is space in between the rolled bacon.
- Repeat until all the asparagus spears have been rolled with bacon.
- Dust your work surface with flour.
- Roll out the puff pastry into a ten-inch square to a thickness of less than a quarter inch.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the puff pastry into 15 strips about half an inch wide.
- Take a bacon-rolled asparagus and roll a strip of puff pastry from end to end. Position the puff pastry so that it alternates with the bacon.
- Line two baking trays with silicone mats or non-stick paper.
- Arrange the bacon and puff-pastry covered asparagus spears on the baking trays. Keep them two inches apart to allow room for the pastry to puff.
- Brush the bacon asparagus puff pastry spirals liberally with the beaten egg.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in a 400F oven.
- Take the baking trays out of the oven and cool for a minute or two before serving.
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