Fresh broad bean salad with sliced fennel, mint, spring onions and Parmesan.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Broad beans are every gardener’s dream!
They’re delicious, although you have to work for them. Unless the beans are very young, they must be shelled twice, first before cooking to remove the bean from the pod, and then after cooking to remove the tough outer membrane from the bean.
Garrett stopped by the other day to help with the picking and peeling and we made this gorgeous spring salad using broad beans from my garden. Fennel and parmesan is one of those weird but wonderful flavor combinations that works great alongside broad beans and mint.
Many favas are still growing in our garden. Do you have a favorite way of preparing them? (Keep the quote from Hannibal Lector, thanks.) If so, please let us know in the comments.
Broad bean and fennel salad with parmesan
ingredients
-
2-3 pounds of fresh fava beans (also called broad beans), which yields about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of shelled beans
-
Salt
-
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced (mandolin works well)
-
2 ounces parmesan cheese, thinly sliced
-
10 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade by stacking the leaves and rolling into a cigar shape, thinly slice the end)
-
2 shallots (spring onions), sliced
-
Extra virgin olive oil
-
lemon juice
-
Freshly ground black pepper
method
-
Peel the outer pod of the broad beans:
Broad beans must be shelled twice, first before cooking to remove the outer husk, and then after cooking to remove the tough membrane around the bean.
To remove the outer husk, work over a large bowl and use your fingers to pinch the bean, bending the husk so that when the bean breaks, the bean inside shoots out into the bowl. Remove all beans from their pods.
-
Boil beans:
Put the beans in 2 liters of boiling, salted water. Simmer the beans for a few minutes until just tender.
-
Remove outer shell:
Use a slotted spoon to scoop the beans out of the pan and plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and turn the beans a light green color. Let the beans sit in the ice water for a minute or two, then drain and remove the outer shell.
-
Combine salad ingredients:
In a bowl, combine the freshly peeled and cooked broad beans, the chopped fennel and the onions.
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the mixture, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss.
Squeeze some lemon juice over the salad (about a tablespoon), add the parmesan and mint and mix everything together.
Garnish with fennel leaves and/or sprigs of mint.
Broad beans grow in our garden
Links:
Broad Bean Dip with Goat Cheese and Garlic and Shaved Fennel Salad from here on Simply Recipes
