Split fava bean pur‚e with dill

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ cup Split peeled fava beans soaked and drained
1 medium Carrot
1 small Stalk celery with leaves
1 small Onion stuck with
1 Whole clove
2 larges Sprigs parsley
3 Sprigs thyme
The Versatile Grain
and the
Elegant Bean
by Sheryl and Mel London
ISBN 0-671-76106-4
pg 353
2 teaspoons Lemon juice
¼ teaspoon Saffron threads, crushed
2 tablespoons Soft butter
Salt and pepper to taste
2 larges Shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons To 3 tbs heavy cream
⅓ cup Dill, coarsely chopped plus
1 Sprig dill

Directions

To a 3-qt. saucepan, add beans, carrot, celery and onion. Tie parsley and thyme together and add, along with enough warm water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, with lid slightly ajar, for 15-20 minutes or until the beans are very soft and have begun to lose their shape. Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice and saffron in a small cup and set aside for 10 minutes.

When beans are done, lift out vegetables and herbs and discard them.

Drain beans well, discarding the liquid. Transfer beans to a medium-size bowl and beat in 1 tbs of the butter with a wooden spoon (Note: this is a coarse pur‚e. If you prefer a smoother texture, pur‚e it in a food processor). Then stir in the saffron and lemon juice, and add the salt and pepper.

In a small skillet, heat remaining butter and saut‚ the shallots over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes or until they are translucent, but not brown. Add to the pur‚e and beat in 2 tbs of the cream (add 1 more tbs of cream if the texture is too dry), then stir in the chopped dill. Taste for salt and pepper. Transfer to an oven-to-table serving dish, cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in a preheated low oven until ready to serve. Garnish with a sprig of dill.

Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 10-17-95

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