Step 1

Gather all the ingredients.

Step 2

Finely dice garlic and set aside.

Step 3

In a stove top pot, add all the ingredients for the marinate – Soy Sauce, Japanese Sake, Water, Swerve/Monkfruit, Bonito Flakes, and Diced Garlic – and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer heat and let sauce reduce for 7-10 minutes or until slightly reduced. Once reduced, strain sauce with strainer and make sure to squeeze/press any excess sauce from the bonito flakes. Set aside.

Step 4

In the meantime, cut bacon into 1/2 inch lengths and set aside.

Step 5

Wash and cut asparagus and shishito peppers in to 1 inch lengths and set aside. Note - you can keep shishito whole if you prefer.

Step 6

Once sauce is ready from step 3), place a large Teflon fry pan on medium heat and add bacon. Cook bacon until preferred liking (about 3 minutes for medium and 6 minutes for extra crisp and transfer bacon to one holding bowl and the bacon oil into another holding bowl.

Step 7

Now take about 1 tbsp of the bacon oil and place back onto large Teflon fry pan on high heat. Discard the remaining bacon oil. Once the oil start to smoke, add asparagus and shishito peppers. Stir well and cook for 1.5-2 minutes until asparagus is tender. Add back bacon and pour sauce over. Mix well and cook for about 15 seconds to coat sauce. Transfer to serving plate and sprinkle optional Toasted Sesame Seeds. Enjoy!