The following recipe combines my liking for jamón serrano, garlic and swiss chard. The latter is known as acelgas in Spain and is used widely throughout the country. I buy it from Fernando, an organic farmer who sells his produce at my local market each Wednesday. But you can buy it in most supermarkets. Chard is a strong vegetable, similar to spinach. It has dark green leaves and, best of all for me, juicy stalks. The stalks can be used as a tapa stuffed with ham and cheese. But here’s a recipe for something more substantial, serving between four and six people.
Chard is grown all year in Spain. It is resistant to hot temperatures and, in winter, it grows faster than cabbage. More often than not, it is sold in bunches. Jamón serrano is also widely available across Spain. They combine perfectly.
Ingredients:- 1 tablespoon of chopped serrano ham, a large bunch of chard containing around a dozen stalks, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, zest of one lemon finely grated and juiced, 4 finely sliced garlic gloves,1 tablespoon of fresh, flat leaf parsley.
What to do:- Rinse the chard and separate the stalks from the leaves. Shred thickly and keep the leaves and stalks apart. Using a pan with a lid, cook the shredded leaves with a little salt and a small amount of water until they wilt and soften. That should take around 5 minutes. Drain well. Toss with half of the olive oil, lemon juice and zest. Season and cover for later.
Rinse the chard stalks and slice into lengths around the size of a finger. Heat the rest of the olive oil in the pan and add the garlic. Add the chopped stalks. Cook for one minute and add a tablepsoon of water. Allow to bubble up and then cover tightly. Cook until perfectly tender, which should take about 10 minutes. Then stir in the ham and parsley. Add pepper, but not salt.
Serve the leaves on one side of the serving plate and the stalks on the other side.
