Crispy Bacon & Apple Skillet with Cucumber-Parsley Salad

Smoky caramelized bacon meets sweet pan-seared apple over a bed of tangy cucumber and fresh parsley, finished with a sticky soy-ketchup glaze.

Let's cook

1. Make the salad: thinly slice half a cucumber and toss with 1 tbsp vinegar, a pinch of sugar, salt, and half the chopped parsley. Set aside to lightly pickle while you cook.
2. Mix the glaze: combine 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tsp vinegar in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.
3. Cook the bacon: lay 6 rashers of bacon in a cold dry skillet, then bring to medium heat. Cook 3–4 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and pour off most of the fat, leaving a thin coat in the pan.
4. Sear the apple: core and slice one apple into 8 wedges (skin on). Add a small knob of butter to the still-hot pan over medium-high heat, then add the apple wedges. Cook 2 minutes per side until lightly golden.
5. Glaze together: return the bacon to the pan with the apple, pour the ketchup-soy glaze over everything, and toss gently for 1–2 minutes until the glaze thickens and coats everything in a sticky, shiny layer.
6. Plate it up: divide the cucumber-parsley salad between two plates, top with the glazed bacon and apple, and scatter the remaining fresh parsley over the top. Season with black pepper and serve immediately.