Habas
A lovely dish to prepare when broad beans are in season is ‘habas con jamón’. You will often find it served it as a tapa with a slice of crusty bread on the side to mop up the delicious juices. Frozen or canned beans may be used out of season.
The first habas of the season are, of course, the most tender. You’ll need around two kilos of broad beans; they will take a while to shell, so make sure you’re sitting down comfortably and are not in a rush.
After washing your shelled beans, heat some olive oil in a shallow pan – extra virgin is best - and add one large or two small finely chopped onions with two cloves of crushed garlic. Sauté gently until the onions are soft. Now add around 150 grams of chopped jamón serrano to the pan and continuing cooking gently for another couple of minutes.
Add the habas and stir, then cover the pan and turn the heat down to low. Do not season until the dish is ready, as the salt which is used to cure the ham may be enough. Leave the beans to stew in the oil until they are soft and tender. You may need to add a little water if they begin to stick during this stage.
Grind in some fresh pepper and salt if necessary. Habas con jamón as a main dish is usually served with a fried egg and bread.
Photo - www.recetasgratis.com
If you are using frozen broad beans, just thaw them in advance. Beans in a jar, which you will find on sale in a Spanish supermarket, must be rinsed before they are used.
