Meat mains
Green beans with crispy Parma ham and sage
Sage is a classic companion to anything porky – and is particularly good sizzled with Parma ham and fresh green beans. Throw in some boiled new potatoes and this is a quick light meal on its own. It's also good with more porkiness – try a grilled fillet, or thin slices of flash-fried pig liver.
Ingredients
- 250g green or flat beans, trimmed and cut diagonally into 2-3 cm lengths
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 slices Parma ham, cut or torn into short thin strips
- 10 sage leaves
- a few drops of balsamic vinegar (optional)
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Steam the beans until just tender. Run under cold water to stop the cooking, drain and reserve.
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Step 2
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Carefully fry the ham strips and sage until the ham is crispy. Remove the ham and sage to a separate plate but leave the oil in the pan.
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Step 3
Reheat the pan and turn the beans in the oil until they are hot and starting to fry. Shake over the balsamic vinegar, if using, and add salt and pepper.
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Step 4
Turn beans onto serving plate, scatter over the ham and sage and serve.
