Broad bean tortilla

This second tortilla recipe uses stewed whole broad beans which have a distinct flavour that works exceptionally well in a tortilla. Whole beans are often used in Spanish cooking but they need to be cooked for a long time to soften and must be young and tender. Otherwise they will be too stringy. This is a great recipe if you grow your own beans as you can pick them young and the pods which are usually discarded aren’t wasted. If you can’t get hold of young broad beans then runner beans can be substituted. I have added jamón serrano to add extra bite but this can be omitted if you want to keep your tortilla meat free.

This recipe makes a 20cm diameter tortilla and will serve up to 3 people as a main meal.

Ingredients
500g broad beans (in their pods)
3-4 eggs (whisked)
1 onion
2 slices jamón serrano (optional)
Olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt

Method

1. Finely slice the onion and the garlic. Top and tail the broad beans and remove any stringy bits. Then chop the bean roughly into lengths of about 5cm. Rip up the slices of jamón serrano into small pieces.
2. Heat a good glug of olive oil in a large deep frying pan or saucepan and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the broad beans, jamon serrano and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, then season well and lower the heat. Continue to cook with a lid on, stirring occasionally and add a little water if it starts to stick. Cook for about 1 hour or until the broad beans are soft.
3. Allow the the bean mixture to cool and then add them to a large bowl. Gently stir in the whisked eggs.
4. Heat a small glug of olive oil in a small frying pan (20cm diameter) and pour in the ingredients. Cook on a low-medium heat for about 20 mins.
5. When the tortilla is almost cooked through, take a plate and place it over the top of the pan. Toss the pan over the plate allowing the tortilla to slide onto the plate face down. Then slide the tortilla back into the pan with the uncooked side on the bottom. Cook for another 3-5 minutes.
6. Serve will a simple salad.