Asparagus with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Fresh asparagus grills wonderfully. We sometimes make a light meal of it accompanied by warm goat cheese or grilled mushrooms, but we like it best of all with this vinaigrette, a slightly refined version of an old American standard.

 

SERVES 4

 

WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE

2	slices uncooked bacon, chopped
3	tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 1½	tablespoons white vinegar
¼	teaspoon sugar
	Pinch of salt
1	pound to 1¼ pounds asparagus spears, preferably thin, trimmed of tough ends

Prepare the vinaigrette, first frying the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Dram the bacon with a slotted spoon and crumble it, reserving both the bacon and the drippings. Reduce the heat under the skillet to low and add the oil, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, sugar, and salt to the bacon drippings. Taste and add the remaining vinegar if needed to balance the tang of the dressing. Keep the vinaigrette warm. (The dressing can be made a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.)

Spoon out 2 to 3 teaspoons of the dressing and rub it evenly over the asparagus.

Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test) if using pencil-thin asparagus, or to medium-low (6 seconds with the hand test) if working with thicker spears.

Transfer the asparagus to the grill, placing the stem ends over the hottest part of the fire and the tips out toward a cooler edge. Grill thin asparagus uncovered over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, rolling it frequently to cook on all sides. Fatter asparagus requires 6 to 8 minutes of cooking time, again rolled on all sides. If grilling covered, cook for the same amount of time, turning once midway.

Serve the asparagus hot or chilled on a long platter, with the dressing drizzled over the stems and the crumbled bacon scattered over all.