• 14 ounces (400 g) slab bacon, cut into lardons ½ inch (12 mm) long
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
• 3 cups (435 g) blueberries
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove the bacon to a large plate lined with paper towels. Pour the fat into a container and save for another use. Do not clean the pan; the crispy bits on the bottom will be used in the jam.

In a separate large saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar and ¼ cup (60 ml) water and cook until the sugar has dissolved, stirring once, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking (without stirring) until deep amber in color, about 8 minutes. Lower the heat to low, carefully add the lemon juice (it will spatter), and cook until the mixture is smooth.

Add the blueberries, increase the heat to high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries are very soft, about 7 minutes.

Transfer the blueberry mixture to the pan that the bacon was cooked in. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water, add it to the blueberry mixture, and cook over medium heat, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits from the pan, until the mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bacon and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. The jam is best served that day.