Making the Most of Fava Bean Season
Fresh fava beans have a brief season in spring. I buy them for their audacious inch worm-green color, for their silky texture, for their buttery, slightly bitter flavor.
Favas are not the world’s most accommodating bean, let’s face it. It takes effort to open their soft cushioned pods, which don't unzip easily the way pea pods do. And then there is the peeling, for after they are shelled the individual beans must also be peeled. (The only exceptions are the tiniest, newest fava beans, which can be enjoyed raw and unpeeled.)
To peel favas, blanch them briefly in boiling salted water, and then transfer them immediately to a bowl of ice water. This will loosen their tough jackets and also maintain their bright green color.
At this point it becomes clear just how meager their yield is---one pound in the pod amounts to a scant cup of shelled and peeled beans. You have to ask yourself: Is it worth it? For me the answer is yes. I have never minded those small, repetitive kitchen tasks---shelling, peeling, pitting. These are tasks that invite contemplation, and I much prefer them to, say, cleaning out the garage or folding the laundry. And favas are a true seasonal delight . Eating them is like eating spring---green, fresh, and sweet, with a shade of bitterness.
Alhough their yield is small, one or two cups of shelled and peeled favas can go a long way. Here are some ideas for cooking with shelled and peeled favas:
Sauté with baby artichokes, spring onions, peas, and shredded tender lettuce. This spring 'stew' is known in parts of Italy as 'la Vignarola' and can be enjoyed with good bread or tossed with cooked egg noodles.
Stir into risotto, as you would fresh peas or asparagus.
Cook in vegetable stock with onions, pancetta, and spring herbs such as mint and marjoram. Serve as an accompaniment to salmon.
Braise in milk with spring herbs and serve as an accompaniment to lamb.
Make a spring vegetable minestrone, with favas, peas, carrots, spring onions, and ditalini pasta.
Sauté in olive oil with minced herbs (mint, oregano, marjoram, parsley, rosemary---whatever you like). Add a couple of tablespoons of broth or cream, season with salt and pepper, and mash coarsely. Spread this purée on crostini and garnish with shavings of pecorino cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.