Best Sauté Of Fresh Fava Beans Onions And Fennel Recipes

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GABRIEL'S SAUTEED FAVA BEANS



Gabriel's Sauteed Fava Beans image

This basic method of cooking fava beans was taught to me by chef Gabriel Claycamp of Culinary Communion. When I was recently able to get ahold of fresh fava beans, I wanted to cook them in a way that highlighted the taste of the beans themselves, and here's how Gabriel suggested I fix them. Although fresh fava beans are, as he said, about 70% waste (and the prep time is shelling and peeling), the remaining 30% after you've prepared and eaten them are *well* worth the effort! We loved them!

Provided by Julesong

Categories     Beans

Time 45m

Yield 2 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

boiling water
salt
ice
tap water
2 lbs fresh fava beans, in the pod (yields about 1 1/2 to 2 cups shelled beans)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced, to taste
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps:

  • First, shell the beans from the fava pods (I found it's sometimes easier - especially if you're new to fava beans - to open the pods when you run the edge of a knife along the seam, cutting away the tough edge so that the pod halves come apart).
  • In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil, then add salt - the amount depends on how much water you have, but it should be very salty, like seawater.
  • In a bowl, combine ice and tap water to make ice water; set aside.
  • Add the shelled beans to the boiling water and let cook for about 3 minutes, then remove from saucepan and immediately plunge into the ice water to halt the cooking.
  • Let the beans cool, then peel the outer skin from each of them.
  • Over medium heat in a skillet, melt together the butter and olive oil, then add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  • Add the peeled fava beans and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are done to your preference.
  • Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, serve, and enjoy!
  • Note: in choosing your fava beans, get the pods that are firm and fresh looking; also, if you're feeling silly, have these along with your favorite liver dish and a nice Chianti.
  • Note 2: once you've made these basic fava beans, you can add other delicious items such as caramelized onions or fennel, chunky fresh tomatoes, and/or a bit of chopped proscuitto.
  • Note 3: I asked Gabriel if favas could be frozen effectively, and he said that yes, you can shuck them and blanch them for 1 minute at most, then freeze them in a single layer on a sheet in the freezer before putting them into bags; great bright green color and no mushiness in texture; thaw, peel, and use as usual.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 574.7, Fat 9.8, SaturatedFat 4.3, Cholesterol 15.3, Sodium 74, Carbohydrate 90.2, Fiber 24.6, Sugar 8.3, Protein 34.8

SAUTé OF FRESH FAVA BEANS, ONIONS, AND FENNEL



Sauté of Fresh Fava Beans, Onions, and Fennel image

Categories     Bean     Onion     Vegetable     Side     Sauté     Fennel     Spring     Bon Appétit

Yield Makes 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

3 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled, or 3 cups frozen baby lima beans, thawed
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 fresh fennel bulb, trimmed, sliced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely ground in spice grinder
1 1/3 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth
4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped pancetta*
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Steps:

  • Cook fava beans in boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain, cool and peel outer skins (do not cook or peel lima beans).
  • Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel bulb; sauté 5 minutes. Add favas or lima beans and fennel seeds; sauté 3 minutes. Add 1 cup broth and 2 tablespoons dill; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in pancetta and savory, adding more broth if mixture is dry. Simmer until favas are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Mix in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
  • Pancetta, Italian bacon cured in salt, is available at Italian markets, some supermarkets, and some specialty foods stores.

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