You might have seen roasted fava beans here and there on the Web. I ran into two separate posts about them, within days of each other, and I think it's going viral.I don't even like favas, but of course I had to try this. What I mainly don't like about favas is the double peeling of the damn beans (which someone likened to castrating an elf). In this preparation, though, you don't have to peel off the tiresome inner skins! They're edible, and I mean, really edible.
It was mentioned that roasted favas are like edamame. No, they are not. They are nothing like edamame. If pulling a cooked green bean out of a salty pod and popping it into your mouth = "edamame," well, that's your narrow-minded little fantasy, not mine.
Roasted favas taste brown. Deep. Meaty.
And since they are protein, they are filling and nutritious. Cranky and I ate half of this foot-wide plate of beans for lunch, and were very happy. (Leftovers are going into an impromptu minestrone.)
I can't say enough how good roasted favas are, and I wouldn't even have eaten favas this spring until I saw the other bloggers' photos.
Get a sack of beans while they're still in season. I might even tell you how to roast them.
OK. Oven at 425F. Wash and dry the pods. Strew them in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer (crowding is fine). Splurt some olive oil and goosh the pods until they are all shiny all over. Pop 'em in the oven for 25 minutes, remembering to give a stir halfway through.
Sprinkle nice salt over the cooked pods. Let cool just a bit, so you can strip off the pods, one at a time. You are ready to eat.
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25 comments:
DRIVIN' LADY ARABS. HONK HONK!
Well, whaddya know? I certainly never would have guessed this preparation for favas. I'll see if they are in our market next week. Intrigued.
Yikes! I almost choked on my Cheerios at the Elf reference. I have never had a fava bean and should add that to the list of things to try.I hear they go well with a nice Chianti :)
This could get me off my resistance to cooking favas because of the finicky prep required. Never had fresh ones until I moved out here, and have to say I didn't esp. like the cooked, dried ones my father-in-law favored (too dry and mealy). Thanks for the share, m'dear.
Zoomie: I'm happy to share an idea new to you (and Kudzu too). Not only is it an easier way to cook and eat favas, it's a lot more delicious. Let me know if you try it.
Greg: Tee hee. Give it a try. Mfff, mfff, mfff.
Kudzu: I'm so pleased to share a new technique!
I hate dried favas, too. Look like cow flops.
I had no idea you were also turned off by the finickiness. :)
Have you had ful mesdames (sp?) - a bit of work but oh so delicious.
Nancy: No, I'd have to look that up. I know I haven't had them. Hmm! Xx
Hey Lady, Are Fava's different in Marin? Did you take that shot? Where did you get them? It is to late in the season for small immature favas for roasting It is funny and scary that I just pulled up all my dried and dead fava plants today and saved seeds for next year. You want some seeds.
This I will try because I love them (tho we call 'em Broad Beans).
I find double peeling soothingly meditative ;)
Ooo, and, the freshest bebe ones, they don't need double peeling at all!
Chilebrown: These were huge, full size favas. The plate they're on is really big, and the photo makes everything look small for some reason. We got the favas at the farmers market several weeks ago, and they lasted beautifully in the fridge. Probably aren't any left in the market. No seeds, no thanks, dearie.
Mouse: I guess I don't love them enough to get entranced by the peeling. Bebe ones, I've heard you can eat em pod and all!
Even quicker is tossing them on a grill, oiled but not salted, until they start to blacken and bubble a bit about their seams. Then grind salt over and eat. I did this last year at the end of a river camping trip (we'd left one cooler of food where we were to pull out at the end) and it was a popular first course, eaten with much drinking of beer and blowing on of burnt fingers, while the sausages were cooking.
Ah, you might want to rethink the seeds from Chilebrown. Fava plants emerge way before anything else in the garden, have beautiful flowers -- and you can eat the baby tendrils of the leaves in salads....then you get the beans and can use them while they're young enough to cook un-double-peeled. They are very good for the soil, too, especially planted where you have maybe overdone the same patch with the same vegetable for a couple of seasons. I'm just sayin' ....
Elizabeth: That is a beautiful image! I want to blow on my fingers while the sausage cooks and I wait to see if my hat that blew off ever comes upstream. Great idea.
Kudzu: ACK! You are right. I cannot argue with a word you just said. Bonus: It might be really good for the mood to have a spring crop. Tendrils! You had me at tendrils.
This is new to me, I will have to try it. Thanks!
Hungry Dog: I know! New to me, too, and so good. xx
Never cooked favas for the reasons you mentioned - this seems interesting
I am not sure I can find them around my neck of the woods, but if I do, I'll keep this recipe in mind.
forgive my ignorance, but even with the roasting, you still only eat the favas inside, right? is the outside always discarded?
BK: Sally, yes, you just eat the beans inside and discard the "shell." I honestly think it's worth a try if favas turn up. It literally amazes me that I have discovered a technique that is new to other people!
"I don't even like favas," -- gasp! Okay, I'm recovering... I love favas and would be happy to try them roasted. I better get to it, while they're still around.
Denise: I know! Shame. I'm sort of a super-taster, but I seem to lack the receptor for favas.
We found favas yesterday at the Marin market; git shoppin'!
You inspired me - I didn't want to make Ful Medames (Great recipe in Claudia Roden's book on Middle Eastern Food). So I made a salad toasted the beans in my handly-dandy cast iron pan, mixed the with Israel Cous-cous (my new favorite food, large nutty grains which are high in protein and low on the glycemic index). I then put in cut radishes, green onions, some red onion, parsley and used a lemon/olive oil dressing. PERFECTION!
I don't like fava beans either, but maybe if I prepare them this way, I might see them differently.
ZZ: Heh! You should give them a try. I liked them enough to do it again. It's just really fun eating.
Ooppsss. Forgot to add that some parts of the recipes and info (Arab names) are from Clifford Wright (Mediterranean Cooking) and Claudia Rodden. I'm a dump here, dump there, pinch et al kind of cook and felt that there should be something more specific
- cookiecrumb -
It did look like fun!
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