Saut&eacuteed Chestnuts, Onions, and Bacon

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound thick-sliced slab bacon or pancetta, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
• 1 pound pearl onions, scant 1 inch in diameter
• 1 pound peeled, roasted chestnuts
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. Start with the bacon. Set a large skillet over medium-low heat, add the bacon, and cook, stirring frequently, until the fat cooks out and the pieces begin to turn crisp at the edges, about 12 minutes. Move the bacon to paper towels so it can drain.
2. While the bacon cooks, prepare the onions. Fill a bowl with ice and water, and keep it nearby. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add the onions, and blanch them for 30 seconds. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and transfer them straight into the ice water. Trim off the tip of each onion, slip away the papery outside layers, and put the peeled onions aside.
3. Turn the heat under the skillet up to medium. Add the onions to the bacon fat and cook, stirring now and then, until they are tender and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the chestnuts, cooked bacon, and honey to the skillet. Toss everything just until warmed through, taking care to keep the chestnuts intact since they are delicate. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper, then transfer to a decorative bowl and finish with the parsley.