Mad About Spanish Food

If you’re ever in Algorfa on a Sunday, visit Cafe Larralde in the Plaza Espana. Among the tapas on offer will be habas con jamon. This is a delicious broad bean and ham stew, and  Cafe Larralde’s version is the best I’ve tasted up to now. It goes down a treat with a glass of chilled rose. Like many traditional Spanish recipes, it’s simple to make yourself, as it relies on a few good quality ingredients, so why not have a go at making habas con jamon? Although it’s a stew, it’s good for summer eating, as consists of mainly vegetables and the sauce isn’t too rich.

This is a Murcian recipe, and we’re only about 20 minutes from Murcia province, so it’s real local food. These quantities will serve 6 as tapas, or 3 – 4 as a main course. Some recipes include 200g of chorizo, which makes it more substantial and more spicy, but we prefer it without the sausage. If you prefer a spicier version, use chilli flakes or a fresh red chilli instead of paprika. You can also use fresh or frozen broad beans, but the flavour won't be so intense, and you'll need double the quantity of dried beans.

My husband Tony adores broad beans, so when we discovered this dish, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven! We have it as a main meal with a jacket potato. Spanish potatoes have such a rich flavour, you don’t need extra butter with them, so this is a nice healthy meal if you omit the chorizo.

•    2 tbsp olive oil
•    1 small onion, finely chopped
•    2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
•    500g dried broad beans soaked for 24hrs (change water at least twice)
•    100g thickly sliced Serrano ham, or smoked bacon lardons
•    1 tsp paprika
•    1 bay leaf
•    1 litre of water
•    1 chicken stock cube
•    Salt and pepper
•    1tsp tomato puree

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Fry the onion and garlic until soft. Add the ham, bay leaf and paprika. Sauté for 2 minutes and then add the beans, tomato puree, water, stock cube and seasoning.

Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for about 1½ hours, or until the beans are tender. Top with chopped or freeze dried parsley and serve with crusty bread and/ or bread sticks. Buen Provecho!