Fava Bean Pudding With Shiitakes Bacon And Wilted Arugula Recipes

FAVA BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium heat and set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Add the shelled fava beans to the boiling water. Once the water has come back to a boil, cook the beans for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water and immediately put them into the bowl of salted ice water. Once the beans have cooled completely, strain them from the ice water. Peel the tough, light green outer layer from the beans. You will be left with a delicate, lovely vibrantly green tender fava bean. MMMMMM! Reserve these little lovelies.
• Coat a large saucepan over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Add the bacon (if using, if not just start with the onions and celery) and once the bacon has started to become brown and crispy and is very aromatic, add the diced onions and celery. Season with salt, to taste, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Cook the onions and celery until they become translucent and are very aromatic. Add the smashed garlic cloves and the diced potato, stir to coat with the oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 2/3 of the reserved fava beans and 4 cups stock. Taste for seasoning and add salt, if needed. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• When the potatoes are tender enough to slide easily off a fork when cooked, puree the soup in a blender* until smooth. You probably will have to do this in batches. Return the soup to the pot, and add the remaining fava beans. If the soup is too thick, add some the remaining stock to adjust the consistency. Taste the soup to check the seasoning and reseason, if needed.
• Ladle the soup into serving dishes, give them a little sprinkle of grated Parmesan and a drizzle of big fat finishing oil.
• Fava beany-weany delicious!

ARUGULA AND FAVA-BEAN CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Cook fava beans in boiling water, uncovered, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Gently peel off skins (if using edamame, don't peel).
• Pulse fava beans in a food processor until very coarsely chopped, then transfer half of mixture to a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup arugula, cheese, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to favas in processor and purée until smooth. Add to bowl. Coarsely chop remaining cup arugula and gently fold into fava-bean mixture.
• Cut 16 diagonal slices (1/3 inch thick) from baguette and put in a 4-sided sheet pan. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil. Bake until pale golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Rub with cut side of garlic.
• Spoon fava-bean mixture onto baguette toasts, then drizzle with oil and top with mint.
• What to drink:
• Fontaleoni Vernaccia di San Gimignano '07

FAVA-BEAN PUDDING WITH SHIITAKES, BACON AND WILTED ARUGULA

Steps:

• To make the pudding, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the beans and blanch until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Slip their skins off. Set aside 1/2 cup of beans and put the rest into a blender. Add the eggs, yogurt cheese, scallions, salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
• Spray 4 6-ounce ramekins with the olive oil and divide the bean mixture among them. Place them in a steamer basket over barely simmering water. Cover and steam until puddings are set, about 25 minutes.
• To make the garnish, cook the bacon in a medium-size nonstick skillet until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Pour off the fat. Add the shiitakes to the skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until almost wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon, salt and pepper.
• To serve, run the tip of a small knife around the inside edge of the ramekins to loosen the puddings. Invert each onto the center of a plate and surround with the shiitake mixture. Sprinkle with the reserved fava beans and serve immediately.

FAVA BEAN AND BACON RISOTTO

Steps:

• Cook the fava beans in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice-cold water to cool. Peel away and discard the outer shells and set the beans aside.
• Heat the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and bacon and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the rice and beans and continue to cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes.
• Add enough hot stock to cover the rice and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until most of the stock has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way until it is almost completely absorbed and rice is tender.
• Remove from the heat, stir in the grated Parmesan, and season to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan shavings.

CREAMED FAVA BEANS AND BACON

Steps:

• Shell the beans from the pods.
• Briefly blanch the beans, then shock with ice water and remove their skins - excepting those that are tiny (discard the tiny ones).
• Cut the bacon into 1/2-inch pieces, then parboil for 10 seconds to remove excess salt, and drain.
• In a heavy saucepan (one with a cover) over low heat, melt the butter and cook the bacon for two to three minutes (bacon should remain limp).
• Add the peeled fava beans, savory, water, and salt to taste.
• Cover tightly, increase temperature to high, and cook over high heat for a few seconds (for gas burners, that would be about 5-10 seconds, for standard electric coil burner that would be about 15-20), then decrease heat to low and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes.
• In a bowl whisk together well the cream, egg yolks, and pepper (to taste), then stir the mixture gently into the fava beans.
• Return the beans to low heat, stirring until the sauce just begins to thicken (coating the spoon thinly) - do not allow to boil.
• Transfer beans to serving dish, sprinkle with the lemon juice and chopped parsley, and serve.