Menestra de Verduras

An assortment of spring vegetables bound by a velvety sauce and the robust taste of Serrano ham. The vegetables remain tender to the bite, coated in a short, brown, and glossy jus.

• Prep time: 45 min
• Cook time: 30 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 415
• Protein: 24 g
• Carbs: 31 g
• Fat: 17 g

Ingredients

• 4 piece Artichoke ( trimmed and quartered )
• 200 g Carrot ( sliced diagonally )
• 200 g Green bean ( trimmed )
• 250 g Asparagus verte ( cut into segments )
• 150 g Green peas ( shelled )
• 150 g Fresh peeled fava bean ( peeled )
• 100 g Serrano ham ( diced )
• 1 piece Onion ( finely chopped )
• 2 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 1 tbsp Wheat flour
• 100 ml Dry white wine
• 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 piece Hard-boiled egg ( quartered )
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper ground
• 250 ml Vegetable broth optional ( warm )

Instructions

1. Vegetable preparation

   Turn the artichokes to keep only the heart, cut them into quarters. Peel the carrots and cut them into whistles. Trim the green beans and cut the asparagus into 4 cm sections.

2. Blanching

   Cook each vegetable separately in a large pot of boiling salted water. They should remain slightly firm. Immediately plunge them into ice water to set the color. Keep 500 ml of cooking water.

3. Aromatic base

   In a sauté pan, sauté the chopped onion and garlic with olive oil. When the onion is translucent, add the diced serrano ham. Let the ham fat start to melt.

4. Dusting and deglazing

   Dust the flour over the mixture (singer) and cook for 2 minutes without coloring. Deglaze with white wine, let it reduce by half, then pour in the reserved cooking water or the vegetable broth for more flavor. The sauce should coat the spoon.

5. Finishing and plating

   Combine all the vegetables in the sauté pan. Mix gently to coat them with sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes over low heat. Adjust the seasoning and decorate with the hard-boiled egg quarters.

Chef's tips

• Do not throw away the vegetable cooking water; it provides all the flavor for the sauce.
• The secret lies in separate cooking: each vegetable has its own timing to stay crisp.
• If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with a bit of hot broth.

Storage

Keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a saucepan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.