Bean, Potato and Bacon Salad from Liège (Warm)

500 g – 1,1 lb haricots princesses
or green beans
3 large potatoes
125 g – 4 oz. smoked streaky bacon,
in one piece
15 g – 1/2 oz. butter
1 tb chopped parsley
1 tb chopped spring onions
0.5 dl – 3 tb + 1 ts red wine vinegar

Trim and wash the beans and cook them in boiling, salted water. They must remain firm. At the same time, cook the potatoes in their skins in boiling salted water.

While the vegetables are cooking, dice the bacon and fry in 15 g – 1/2 oz. butter until it changes color. When the potatoes are cooked, peel them and cut them into rounds.

Drain the beans. Put the beans in a salad bowl, arrange the potatoes all around, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and spring onions, and pour the diced bacon and its fat over the lot.

Pour the wine vinegar in the frying pan and boil, scraping up the crunchy remaining bits of bacon and bacon juice until the liquid has reduced considerably.

Pour over the salad, and serve warm.

Remarks: 4 servings.

Source: A Taste of the Belgian Provinces, Enid Gordon and Midge Shirley (published by The Tuesday Group, rue Frans Merjay, 1060 Brussels).