Guest Author - Rachel L Webb

Habas Con Jamón

This is one of the more unusual Simple Tapas Recipes, it is an excellent way of making the most of tasty broad beans when they are in season and plentiful.

Ingredients

1 kg broad beans removed from skins
100 ml olive oil
125 g jamón serrano, diced
Salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons freshly chopped mint
Juice half a lemon

Method

1. Remove the hard outer skin from each individual broad bean
(optional).
2. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.
3. Add beans and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add jamón serrano and season.
5. Add chopped mint.
6. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.


Patatas Bravas

As the name suggests, only the courageous will try these potatoes! There are many different versions of this dish throughout Spain, but all have one characteristic in common: they are spicy!

Ingredients

750 g potatoes
4 dessertspoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 dessertspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons tomato purée

Method

1. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks.
2. Fry in oil for 3-4 minutes until lightly colored.
3. Add salt and pepper to potatoes.
4. Cover pan, lower heat and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with paprika and cayenne and increase heat.
6. Mix together wine vinegar and tomato puré and add to pan.
7. Cook for a couple of minutes, constantly stirring.
8. There should be no loose liquid or oil in the pan.


King Prawns in Sherry

Serves 4

12 raw king prawns peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Few drops of Tabasco sauce
30 ml/ 2 tablespoon olive oil
30 ml/ 2 tablespoon sherry


1- Make a superficial cut down the back of each prawn, then pull out and discard the dark intestinal tract.

2- Heat the oil in a frying pan and stir fry the prawns for 2-3 minutes until pink. Tip out the sherry and season with Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Turn into a cazuela and serve immediately.

To see or buy traditional terracotta Cazuelas they can be found here, www.latienda.com