Braised Fava Beans, Lemon, Black Pepper & Pecorino
Capturing the spring flavor of fava beans while we can.
In Southern California, favas generally have a short season, and tend to disappear just as quickly as they arrive. We get ours from Valdivia Farms, and work hard to capture their spring flavor while we can. If we find very young beans no bigger than the nail on my pinky finger, we pop them from their pods and don’t bother to peel the beans. If the beans are any bigger, blanch them and peel the inner skin. Just be sure not to overcook them, as they cook twice, briefly, in this recipe.
The puckering brininess of a good raw-milk pecorino provides the perfect counterpoint for the fava’s sweetness. Look for the black-peppercorn studded variety called “pepato.” This is also a good time to reach for a high-quality, green olive oil. The simplicity of this dish allows it to shine.
Braised Fava Beans, Lemon, Black Pepper & Pecorino
From Gjelina: Cooking From Venice, California (Chronicle Books)
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
1½ lb [680 g] fresh young fava beans, shelled
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup [120 ml] vegetable stock
Juice of ½ lemon
2 Tbsp torn fresh mint leaves
1 oz [30g] pecorino pepato
Best-quality olive oil for drizzling
If working with medium to large fava beans, prepare an ice-water bath by filling a large bowl with ice water. Blanch the beans in lightly salted boiling water for about 15 seconds and plunge them into the ice-water bath. Remove them from the bath and peel them once they are cool.
In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the extra-virgin olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the fava beans to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Add half of the stock and bring to a quick simmer. The idea is to add just enough liquid to heat the beans without overcooking them, which will destroy their natural sweetness. Continue adding stock, about 1 Tbsp at a time, tasting the beans for doneness as you go. Larger beans will take a little longer, 2 to 3 minutes. Once the beans are tender and the liquid has almost evaporated, add the lemon juice and mint.
Transfer to a serving platter. With a vegetable peeler, shave the pecorino over the top, then drizzle with best-quality olive oil. Serve warm.