- 3 pounds fava beans
- extra virgin olive oil
- fresh herbs
- 1 large or 2-4 small green garlic
Peel fava beans from the pod and put them into boiling water for a minute or two. Immediately plunge them into ice water and remove when completely cool. Using your thumb nail, make a slit in the outer skin and pop the beans out. This can be done several hours ahead of time and it is best to keep the peeled beans covered on a bowl of ice in the refrigerator. They can be done a day ahead, but are better the same day.
In the meantime, trim the tough outer layers of green garlic. If the roots look long and white, soak them in several changes of water until clean. Slice the green garlic either straight across or on the bias about 1/16” thick, using primarily the whit end of the plant.. I like to use more of the green than most people, but it adds color and another element of sweetness.
Place the ½ cup of green garlic plus the roots (if using them) in a shallow pan with ½ cup water and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sometimes I add a sprig of rosemary or thyme or sage , ½ teaspoon of salt and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the beans and equal amounts of additional water and olive oil to almost cover the beans. Cover and simmer for another five minutes. More mature beans will be starchier and require several more minutes to coax their sweetness and doneness. Add fresh ground pepper and salt to taste and any additional herbs of choice.
