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Almost everyone I know likes his bacon smoked (no pun intended!) but trust the Irish to formulate a smashing recipe where the savoury potency of bacon and healthful tastiness of choice veggies memorably collide. What you end up with is a rich, flavoursome Belfast gravy that drips invitingly off succulent cuts of bacon...

Boiled Collar Of Bacon With Creamy Mustard Sauce

1 Kg Unsmoked bacon
1 Md Onion
2 Carrots
2 Celery sticks
1 Bay leaf
1 3/16 l Chicken stock
150 ml Double cream
70 g Butter, unsalted
1 t Brown mustard seeds
Seasoning

Yields 4 Servings.

Preparation:

Remove the rind from the bacon and roll the bacon. Roughly chop the onion, carrots and celery sticks. Make the chicken stock.

1. Soak the bacon in water for 24 hours prior to cooking to reduce salt content. Rinse well.

2. Place the bacon in a pan with the vegetables and bay leaf. Cover with the stock or water. Bring to the simmer and continue simmering for 1-1.5 hours. Rest the bacon in the stock for 20-30 minutes.

3. Drain off 600ml of stock and bring to the boil and reduce by half and serve with the bacon. Alternatively, add the cream (if using) to the reduced stock and cook for 10 minutes, then whisk in 25g of butter at a time, to taste. Add the mustard seeds, season and keep warm.

4. Add the bacon, allowing 2 slices per person. Tuck in!