Guisantes con Jamon

Green peas with jamon and egg

When people just boil peas and serve them with a knob of butter, it seems like a very boring part of a meal. To me, peas are better than caviar, full of flavour and sweetness. This recipe for peas with jamón serrano and a soft-boiled egg brings out the best in peas.

It’s also as versatile as it is easy - swap with jamon for bacon or chorizo to match what you have to hand in your kitchen cupboard.

Serves 4

Ingredients

375g frozen peas

3 eggs

4 garlic cloves finely sliced

1 onion finely chopped

extra virgin olive oil - good drizzle of

4 slices jamón serrano (cured ham) or bacon chopped, or 5 diced chorizo sausages

½ tsp of paprika

3 sprigs of fresh thyme – dried can be used instead

3 tbsp white wine

100ml of water

¼ chicken stock cube

Salt and pepper

Method

Over a medium heat place a frying pan with the chorizo and onion then drizzle over the olive oil.

Fry for a couple of minutes and then add the garlic. After a further couple of minutes, sprinkle and stir in the paprika, then add the peas. Cook for about a minute then add the fresh or dried thyme along with the white wine. Light quickly with a lighter or some long matches to flambé in the pan before pouring in the chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper then let it simmer with the lid on for around 3 minutes or until ready.

Meanwhile, soft boil 3 eggs for around 5 minutes. Run under cold water to cool down, peel, cut in half then place on top of the peas with a sprinkle of sea salt. At this point I also can’t resist drizzling over a little more olive oil.

Enjoy with plenty of bread to dip into your yolk and the rich sauce that should have formed.

Spanish comfort food at it’s best!