Creamy zucchini stew with a poached egg and crispy bacon

Ingredients

• Zucchini
• Egg
• Bacon
• Cream
• Onion
• Garlic
• Dill
• Vinegar
• Sugar
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Plain flour

Method

1. Thinly slice some of the zucchini for pickling. Heat water with vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved. Pour over the zucchini, allow to cool, then refrigerate to let the flavours develop.
2. Coarsely grate the remaining zucchini. Finely chop the onion and garlic.
3. Cut the bacon into pieces and slowly fry until crisp. Remove it and keep some of the rendered fat for the stew.
4. Soften the onion in the rendered bacon fat, then add the garlic and zucchini. Season with salt and black pepper, add the plain flour and stir. Cook briefly, then gently cook in its own juices until tender, adding a little water only if needed.
5. Stir in the cream and simmer gently until creamy. Remove from the heat, add chopped dill and adjust the flavour with salt, black pepper, a little vinegar and sugar.
6. Heat water with a little vinegar in a saucepan, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Crack the egg into a small bowl, gently swirl the water and carefully slide the egg in. Poach until the white is firm and cooked through, then lift out with a slotted spoon and drain.
7. Spoon the stew onto a plate and top with the poached egg, crispy bacon and drained pickled zucchini. Finish with dill.