Fava Beans with Pecorino
Cook shelled fava beans in boiling salted water until tender.
Drain and peel.
Grate pecorino romano over favas; sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Sautéed Fava Beans
Sauté blanched peeled fava beans and English peas in olive oil until tender; season with salt.
Sprinkle with lemon zest and julienned mint.
Fava Bean Crostini
Cook shelled fava beans in boiling water until tender, drain and peel.
In food processor, puree with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Spread puree on crostini. Top with shaved Parmesan or grated pecorino romano.
Grilled Shrimp with Fava Bean Puree
In food processor, pulse together blanched peeled fava beans, olive oil, minced garlic, mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper, adding water as needed.
Toss peeled deveined shrimp with lemon zest, red pepper flakes and salt. Thread onto skewers and grill. Serve over fava puree.
Fava Bean & Radish Salad
Peel fava beans and blanch in boiling water until just tender.
Toss blanched peeled fava beans and thinly sliced radishes with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Top with shaved pecorino
romano or Parmesan.
Orecchiette with Favas, Morels & Pancetta
Brown diced pancetta and quartered morels in olive oil. Add blanched peeled fava beans and minced garlic and shallot;
cook briefly.
Add cream and cooked and drained orecchiette. Cook, tossing, until cream has reduced.
Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
Availability
Fava beans have a short spring season, starting in late March and generally ending in early May.
Selecting
Look for soft, pale green pods packed with pale green beans. The pods should feel heavy for their size.
Preparing
Before cooking, fresh fava beans must be shelled, or removed from their pods. Shell them as you would peas by first snapping off the stem and pulling away the tough string on the side of the pod. Then pop each pod open by pressing your thumbnails along its seam. Unless they have been picked while still quite young and small, the skin that covers each shelled bean must be removed before eating, as it is tough and bitter tasting.
To remove the skins, drop the shelled beans into a pot of boiling water and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold running water. Pinch each bean opposite the end where it was attached to the pod and squeeze; the bean should pop free. Use a paring knife to remove any stubborn skins.
Storing
Store the beans, still in their pods, in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to three days.