B road beans, or habas , are one of the highlights of the vegetable calendar. The season is short, though, so make the most of them, especially when they’re young, small and tender. I’m lucky enough to be able to pick habas in both the Spanish and British seasons, and they are always a great combination with chorizo.
That pairing is particularly delicious with manchego, which is magnificent in any form, especially when it’s fried in a golden crumb. Broad beans with chorizo and crisp fried manchego If you have the time, skin the beans after blanching them, to reveal the tender, vivid-green bean inside. It’s well worth the extra effort.
Prep 15 min Cook 15 min Serves 4 as a starter 400g new-season’s broad beans (podded weight, from about 11⁄4kg unpodded beans) Olive oil 200g cooking chorizo 2 garlic cloves , peeled and finely sliced Finely grated zest of 1 lemon and a good squeeze of juice Salt and black pepper 250g manchego , cut into 6mm-thick triangles 1 tbsp plain flour 1 egg , beaten 120g panko breadcrumbs 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil , to finish 1 tbsp honey , to finish Bring a pan of water to a boil, blanch the podded beans for two to three minutes, until they start to float to the surface, then drain and refresh under cold running water. Meanwhile, put a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan on a medium heat. Peel off and discard the skin from the chorizo and break the sausage into pieces.
Fry the chorizo for five or six minutes, breaking it up further with a sp.
