Illustration by Katie McBride
HISTORY
A pile of long, bumpy bean pods mounded up on a farmers market table can mean only one thing: Spring has brought with it a bumper crop of fava beans. One of the oldest cultivated beans, the fava or broad bean became a staple of the eastern Mediterranean diet around 6000 B.C. Eaten all over the world, from the Horn of Africa to Peru, favas are beloved for their versatility. With a nutty taste and a smooth texture, favas are quiet compared to the ramps and spring onions with which they share a season, but their distinct flavor is one worth seeking when it’s their moment in the sun.
WHAT TO BUY
Fava beans are available canned, dried, frozen and fresh. When it comes to fresh favas, bright green pods with no blemishes house the best beans. Beware bulging pods, which can contain bitter beans. Store fresh favas in a bag in the crisper for up to a week. Cooked, they will last about as long, refrigerated in a sealed container.
HOW TO PREPARE
Fresh favas are a labor of love, with a mountain of pods yielding a minuscule hill of beans. Getting to them is a two-step process: Remove the pod by locating the stem and pulling down along the seam to reveal the beans. Add them to a pot of salted boiling water for one minute, until they’re a Kermit green, and then shock them in an ice bath. Once they’ve cooled, use a paring knife or your thumbnail to carefully remove the germ, the thin membrane encasing the bean. Some Middle Eastern chefs prefer the smaller beans and choose not to remove the germ. This gives the final preparation a uniquely bouncy mouthfeel, and the decision to remove the germ or not is as hotly contested as the best way to prepare ful medames, a dish of ancient Egyptian origin consisting of fava beans, herbs and hard-boiled eggs.
Fava Salad With Mint, Feta and Toasted Honey
Serves 6
By Paul Kostandin, chef de cuisine for Postbellum and creator of the Bubo pop-ups
5 pounds fava beans
1/4 cup honey
2-3 sprigs mint, picked and chopped
2 lemons
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup almonds, sliced
8 ounces feta, crumbled
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Remove fava beans from pods. Blanch beans for one minute in boiling water, strain, and shock beans in an ice bath. Remove the outer germ.
Heat honey in a small sauté pan over medium heat. The honey will get frothy and darken in color. Cook for one to two minutes, not letting it boil. Remove from heat and cool.
Combine fava beans, red pepper, mint and sliced almonds in a bowl. Add the juice of two lemons. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon six portions into small bowls, top with crumbled feta and drizzle with toasted honey.
