Broad Beans with Pata Negra Ham

Name: Broad Beans with Pata Negra Ham
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: Spain
Ingredients: ground black pepper; 55 g finely sliced pata negra or other Spanish cured ham, torn; flaked sea salt; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; a splash of sherry vinegar; 1 small garlic clove; 120 g podded baby broad beans

Preparation info

Serves
2

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

What to Eat Now (Spring & Summer)

By Valentine Warner

Published 2009

About

This salad couldn’t be simpler and just so happens to contain all of my favourite things. I make it for 1 because it has always been a singular pleasure. Pata negra (air-cured ham made from the black-footed pig, stuffed senseless on acorns) can be found in all good Spanish delis. Less expensive jamon works well too.

Ingredients

55 g finely sliced pata negra or other Spanish cured ham, torn
120 g podded baby broad beans

Europe
Spain
Side dish
Mediterranean
Gluten-free

Method

Ideally, you’ll use pata negra and it will have been cut in the traditional way - almost shavings the length of your thumb; it is rarely sold machine-sliced in packs. If using Serrano ham, cut it down to the same thumb length but a little wider.

Boil the young broad beans in rapidly rolling water for no more than 3 minutes. Drain in a colander, then plunge under cold running wate