Azorean Dried Fava Beans Recipes

FAVA BEAN PURéE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil as you shell the beans from: 4 pounds fava beans.
• Blanch quickly in the boiling water and then cool in ice water. Drain and pop the beans out of their skins. Heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan: 1/2 cup olive oil.
• Add the fava beans with: 4 garlic cloves, sliced, 1 branch rosemary, Salt, 1/2 cup water.
• Cook until the fava beans are very tender, stirring occasionally, and adding more water as necessary. The beans are done when they can be crushed easily with the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Mash with a spoon or pass them through a food mill. Stir in: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.
• Taste and season with salt as needed. Thin with water if necessary. Serve right away or at room temperature.

BESSARA (DRIED FAVA BEAN SOUP)

Steps:

• Soak the beans in water for 2 hours, drain and put in a pot with 2 quarts of cold water. Bring to a boil, skim and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, until the beans are very soft. Add the salt and mash the beans by hand or, for a smoother texture, puree in a blender and return to the pot.
• Fry the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin, turmeric and cayenne. Add to the soup and simmer for 30 minutes longer, adding water if the soup becomes too thick. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and the coriander. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

PORTUGUESE FAVAS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until golden brown. Stir in red pepper flakes, tomato sauce, hot water, parsley, salt, pepper and paprika. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Gently stir in fava beans. Remove from heat and let stand for several minutes to allow flavors to meld.

AZOREAN DRIED FAVA BEANS

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl soak 1 bag of dried Fava beans over night in water. You will need enough water to cover the beans by more than a half inch.
• 2. The next morning you can see that the beans have split apart. If some have not done so, go ahead and pull them apart yourself. Now rinse them and lay them on a kitchen towel to dry.
• 3. Heat 2/3 of a cup of vegetable oil or olive oil in a large pan. Add 1/2 cup of the halved beans at a time to the oil. When fava beans begin to brown, remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels to catch the excess oil. Do this with the remaining fava beans.
• 4. When all the fava beans have been cooked, lightly sprinkle with salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper or your favorite seasonings.
• 5. The beans will become crispy when they cool. Enjoy!

DRIED FAVA BEANS WITH BITTER GREENS

Steps:

• Soak the beans overnight in cold water, drain and gently pull the outer skin off and discard. Place in a deep, ovenproof cooking pot, add cold water to cover the beans, cover and place over a high flame until the mixture starts to boil.
• As the beans begin to boil, skim the foam. When the foam ceases to rise, add a pinch of salt and stir well. Cook for 1 hour more, stirring frequently and adding more cold water to keep the beans covered. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, use a wooden spoon to stir and pulverize the beans. When the beans are mashed and have the consistency of clotted cream, beat in i cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• While the beans are cooking, clean the greens and boil in water until tender. Drain and toss with the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper to to taste. Serve the beans and the greens with thick country bread.