Name: Garbanzos con Jamón a la Castellana
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 150g serrano ham, cut into small dice; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 1 small carrot, finely diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 200g ripe tomato, grated, or 150g canned crushed tomato; 1 teaspoon sweet pimentón de la Vera; 1 bay leaf; 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 500g cooked chickpeas; 600ml low-salt chicken stock or water; Salt, to taste; Black pepper, to taste; 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley, optional

Question 1

Can I make garbanzos con jamon ahead of time?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Cook the onion-carrot sofrito up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it covered, then warm it gently before adding chickpeas. The finished garbanzos con jamon keeps 3 days in the refrigerator and tastes better the next day as the broth settles.

Question 2

What can I substitute for serrano ham in garbanzos con jamon?

Accepted Answer

Use prosciutto or another unsmoked dry-cured ham instead of serrano ham. Avoid sweet deli ham because it gives Spanish chickpea stew the wrong flavor and turns soft in the pot. The ham should be salty, firm, and savory enough to season the broth.

Question 3

How do I thicken Spanish chickpea stew?

Accepted Answer

Thicken Spanish chickpea stew by simmering the chickpeas uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, then crushing a small ladleful of chickpeas against the side of the pot and stirring them back in. This gives the broth a glossy, lightly thickened body without flour.

Question 4

Why do I cook the sofrito so long for garbanzos con jamon?

Accepted Answer

Cook the onion and carrot sofrito for 18 to 22 minutes so the onion turns dark gold, soft, and sweet. That slow cooking builds the base flavor for garbanzos con jamon. Rushing the sofrito leaves the broth thinner and less savory.

Question 5

When should I add pimenton to Spanish chickpeas?

Accepted Answer

Add sweet pimenton de la Vera after the grated tomato has cooked for 8 to 10 minutes and the pot is briefly off the heat. Stir in the pimenton, then return the pot to low heat. This prevents the paprika from burning and turning bitter.

Question 6

Can I use dried chickpeas instead of canned chickpeas?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Soak 250g dried chickpeas overnight, then simmer them with a bay leaf until tender before starting the sofrito. Save some chickpea cooking water for the stew because it gives garbanzos con jamon a better broth than boxed stock.

Culinary Explorer

Garbanzos con Jamón a la Castellana

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil

serrano ham

onion

Where cooking meets culture.

Ingredient	Quantity
extra virgin olive oil	2 tablespoons
serrano hamcut into small dice	150g
onionfinely chopped	1 large