Tapa of the week – Habitas con Jamon

High up in the tapas hierachy, this dish can come at a heavy price considering the fact that you are just getting a plate of broad beans and a few off-cuts of ham: 9 to 15 euros sounds about right, depending on just how smart the establishment is. But you have to bear in mind that these are not just any ordinary broad beans – these are baby broad beans, plucked from the pod long before they reach maturity. Picking the beans when they are still the size of your finger nail (rather than half your thumb) means they are twice as tasty, and combined with snippets of top quality jamon and virgin olive oil, you have one of the finest delicacies on the Spanish tapas scene.

Bread is essential for mopping up with afterwards, along with a nice glass of chilled Rueda white to wash it all down of course. If you still think the dish is overpriced, bear in mind that a tin of the baby beans, or habitas, will set you back around 5 euros alone from food shops smart enough to sell them… compared with less than a euro for Heinz baked beans at the supermercado!

Thanks to Gary and all those that suggested the Tapa of the week series.