Fava Beans

Warning: Don't try this at home.

New ingredient (never tasted or cooked by me) for the week was fava beans. I saw them on sale for 99 cents a pound and bought about a pound and a half, thinking that would be plenty. These suckers were big, probably 8 inches long and plump too. I thought such gargantuan pods would yield a large plate of tasty beans. Wrong.

So here's how to prepare the fresh fava beans at home (I already warned you, don't try). First shell the beans (see above). Blanch the beans for 3 minutes, and dump in an ice bath. THEN, shell the beans AGAIN (see below). They have a lining that is tough and inedible, so they need the second shucking. Take the remaining little tiny amount of beans (i got 1/4 cup from my batch) and do with them what you wish.

They might be nice in a salad mixed with tomatoes and onions. I saw a recipe for green risotto made with blended fava beans. I decided not to fuss too much with my whole handful of beans. I added some bacon bits (I cooked that for my fritatta tonight), salt, pepper and parmesan.

Alright, so they were good. Would I do it again? Heck, no! Unless you have a little army of 10 year olds willing to do your dirty work, just leave it to the professionals and order it next time you see it on a menu.