Fava

It sets firm in a tray and is cut into cubes, not served as a dip.

Vegan.

Ingredients

• 500 g dried split broad beans, skinless
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1.2 litres water
• 100 ml olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• white pepper

to serve

• a large bunch of dill, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, in wedges
• 1 red onion, finely sliced

Method

1. IT SETS FIRM IN A TRAY AND IS CUT INTO CUBES. This is the thing to get right, because every instinct says a bean purée belongs in a bowl with oil on top. Instead the hot purée is poured into a shallow tray or a loaf tin to a depth of three or four centimetres, levelled, and refrigerated for at least four hours. Broad beans are high enough in starch that it sets to a sliceable block, firm like a chilled pâté, and it is then turned out and cut into cubes or slices and arranged on a plate. Served soft from the pan it is a pleasant dip; set and cut it is this dish.
2. IT HAS TO BE COOKED DOWN FURTHER THAN LOOKS NECESSARY TO SET. After the beans have collapsed, the pan goes back on and the purée is stirred over a low heat until it is thick enough that a spoon drawn through it leaves a trench that holds for a second or two. That is the test for whether it will set. A loose purée chills to a loose purée -- the fridge firms it a little and no more, and there is no recovering it once it is cold.
3. THE BEANS ARE THE SKINLESS SPLIT KIND. Soaked twelve hours. Whole broad beans with their skins on will not purée smooth -- the skins stay as tough flecks through the whole block and have to be sieved out, which is an hour of unnecessary work.
4. IT IS BLENDED WHILE HOT AND POURED STRAIGHT AWAY. Blended smooth and into the tray immediately, while it is still pourable. Left to cool in the pan it begins to set there and goes into the tray in lumps that leave air pockets, and the block then falls apart when cut.
5. THE SUGAR AND LEMON BOTH GO IN DURING COOKING. Two teaspoons of sugar and a whole lemon's juice, in the pan, not at the table. Cold food needs more seasoning than warm food to taste of anything, and a block that was under-seasoned cannot be corrected after it has set.
6. THE DILL GOES ON AT THE END AND IS NOT BLENDED IN. Scattered over the cut cubes with oil and sliced red onion. Blended through, it turns the block khaki and the dill tastes cooked.
7. The split broad beans SOAKED 12 HOURS, then drained.
8. Simmered with the onions and water 50 MINUTES, until completely collapsed.
9. The olive oil, sugar, lemon juice, salt and white pepper stirred in.
10. Cooked on, stirring, over a LOW heat until a spoon drawn through leaves a TRENCH THAT HOLDS for a second or two.
11. BLENDED SMOOTH WHILE HOT.
12. Poured STRAIGHT AWAY into a shallow tray or loaf tin to a depth of 3 to 4 cm and levelled.
13. Refrigerated at least 4 HOURS, until firm and sliceable.
14. Turned out and CUT INTO CUBES or slices.
15. Arranged on a plate, scattered with dill and sliced red onion, and the oil poured over.
16. TESTED: a cube should hold its edges on the plate. If it slumps, the purée was not cooked down far enough.
17. Served cold with lemon wedges. Keeps 3 days.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Turkey · All recipes