Fresh broad beans have the briefest of seasons, savour them raw when they are young in spring, then as summer progresses and they get bigger, make them into dips and purees.
In Europe, broad beans were the bean until the 15th century, when all the other varieties were brought back from the New World. They are the only bean native to the Mediterranean and Middle East.
Dried broad beans have got many a poor peasant through the winter, and in Egypt, the national dish ful medames is dried broad, or fava, beans, cooked slowly for a long time. Felafel is made with dried broad beans and/or chick peas, but it’s broad beans when they are young and tender we want to celebrate.
Buy broad beans with a firm, not floppy, pod. If you can buy pods in which the outline of the bean inside the pod is not too pronounced so much the better, although these may not be the lightweights a grower wants to send to the market. About three-quarters of the weight of broad beans is in the pods – so if you want 500g for a dish, take 2kg home from the shop.
Shell them from their pods as close to cooking time as you can. Run your thumbnail along the outside of the pod to release the beans – you’ll need to wash your hands well afterwards.
It’s well worth the bother of peeling beans a second time. Just blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds, drain and run them under cold water, then just squeeze them of their grey skins and you have a bean of brilliant, beautiful, green colour to be added to a risotto or cooked further.
Very young beans need no more cooking. Dress them while they are still warm in olive oil and shavings of parmesan or pecorino and/or crisp pancetta. In Italy, Greece and Spain, broad beans are often combined with artichoke hearts, peas and spring onions. Such a Primavera stew can be flavoured with grated nutmeg or cumin and paprika, and mint and/or parsley, and give it a splash of white wine vinegar or lemon juice. Sometimes ham is added, sometimes a tomato sauce.
Try this warm salad from Portugal to bring out the best in broad beans. Get about 500g of broad beans out of their skins as outlined above. Cover the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil and crisp up about 100g of diced bacon or ham. Remove it from the pan, then add one onion finely chopped, then a couple of cloves of finely chopped garlic. Put the beans in and add enough water to cover and add a bay leaf. Simmer the beans until they are tender – about 10 minutes.
When the beans are cooked put the bacon back in and about half a cup of fresh, chopped coriander. Stir gently and serve immediately in a warmed bowl. In Spain, they add sausage, such as chorizo, instead of bacon, and mint rather than coriander.
Broad beans go with…
almonds
artichoke
lemon
olive oil
peas
pork
bacon
ham
pancetta
speck
salty cheese
feta
Parmigiano
Reggiano
pecorino
tomatoes
walnut oil
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