Black Bacon Baskets with Butter Beans & Asparagus

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Wrap the streaky bacon tightly around 4 greased pastry cutters or ramekins and secure with the cocktail sticks. Set onto a baking tray. Roast for about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bacon and the ring to cool before removing the cocktail sticks. You should be left with a neat “bottom-less” basket of bacon.

Cook the asparagus in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes and then refresh in cold water.

Mix together the butterbeans, tomatoes and garlic. Drizzle with oil and season to taste. Stir in some shredded basil.

Arrange the asparagus side by side on 4 serving plates. Trim them neatly at the end so that they are even.

Place a basket on top, seam towards the back. Carefully fill the baskets with the bean mixture. Drizzle the asparagus with more olive oil and garnish with herbs.