Montadito de Crema de Habitas con Queso Manchego
Chapter 1: Foundations & the Bar Snacks
If there is a single dish that captures the genius of the American tapas boom, this is it. Inspired by the legendary New York joint Tía Pol, this montadito bridges the gap between old-world Andalusia and the fast-paced, high-heat energy of a Friday night service. You take baby fava beans, double-peel them until they're electric green, and blend them into a velvety crema. Mount it on toasted bread, drape it with shaved Manchego, and you have the perfect make-ahead bar snack. Knock out the prep on Tuesday, and when your guests walk in on Friday, you're exactly two minutes of broiler heat away from a restaurant-quality bite.
Before you start
Boil, blanch, and shock the frozen fava beans to lock in their vibrant green color.
Drop the beans into a pot of heavily salted boiling water for exactly two minutes, then immediately transfer them to an ice bath.
Double-peel the beans by popping the bright green inner cotyledons out of their tough outer skins.
Do not skip this; the outer skins are tannic and chalky, and removing them is the difference between a rustic home dip and a silky, restaurant-quality crema.
Sweat the shallot and smashed garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat until translucent.
Do not let them brown, as browning adds bitter notes that muddy the delicate sweetness of the fava beans. Discard the garlic clove once it has perfumed the oil.
Emulsify the peeled beans, shallot oil, water, and kosher salt in a food processor.
Pulse until it forms a thick, slightly textured puree that holds its shape on a spoon. Store in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface to prevent oxidation for up to three days.
Ingredients
- frozen baby fava beans12 oz
- Spanish extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- shallot1 small
- garlic1 small clove
- water1 tbsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- lemon1 small
- baguette1 large
- Queso Manchego3 oz
- flaky sea salt1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Temper the crema de habitas at room temperature for thirty minutes before serving.
A cold puree mutes the flavors and cools down the hot bread too quickly; stir in a tiny squeeze of lemon juice to wake it up right before plating.
- 02
Toast the bias-cut bread under a high broiler until the edges are golden brown and crispy.
Brush the tops generously with olive oil before broiling, and watch them like a hawk so the centers retain a slight chew.
- 03
Spread a generous tablespoon of the room-temperature crema onto each toast and drape with the shaved Manchego.
Ensure the cheese is shaved thin enough to melt gently during the final flash of heat.
- 04
Flash the assembled montaditos under the broiler for thirty to forty-five seconds.
You are mimicking a restaurant salamander here; the goal is to make the cheese sweat and release droplets of butterfat without browning or blistering.
- 05
Plate immediately and finish with a drizzle of your best olive oil and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Notes
Use a genuine Spanish sheep's milk cheese like Queso Manchego.
Cow's milk cheeses lack the lanolin-rich tang needed to cut through the starchy fava beans. If you cannot find a Semicurado or Curado Manchego, a young Pecorino Romano or Spanish Iberico blend is acceptable.
Sourcing the right fava beans is critical to the dish's flavor and color.
If you absolutely cannot find frozen baby fava beans, the only acceptable restaurant hack is frozen shelled edamame. Never use canned lima beans, which are mushy and dull.
A high-quality Spanish Picual extra virgin olive oil acts as a primary flavoring agent here.
The peppery, tomato-vine punch of a Picual cuts perfectly through the starch of the beans and elevates the entire dish.