Fava Bean Salad with Mountain Ham and Mint Recipe

Apr 26, 2011 @ 1:54 AM
Posted by David Tanis, Special Contributor

Nutrition

Cal/Serving: 554
Daily Value: 28%
Servings: 8

Low-Fat
Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Sugar-Conscious

Fat	7g	10%
Saturated	1g	7%
Carbs	101g	34%
Fiber	5g	19%
Sugars	1g	0%
Protein	51g	102%
Cholesterol	21mg	7%
Sodium	1316mg	55%
Calcium	274mg	27%
Magnesium	204mg	51%
Potassium	2379mg	68%
Iron	10mg	55%
Zinc	6mg	42%
Vitamin A	2201IU	44%
Vitamin C	39mg	66%
Thiamin (B1)	1mg	57%
Riboflavin (B2)	2mg	95%
Niacin (B3)	13mg	67%
Vitamin B6	1mg	35%
Folic Acid (B9)	802µg	200%
Vitamin B12	0µg	4%
Vitamin D	0µg	0%
Vitamin E	0mg	1%
Vitamin K	42µg	53%
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	2g	0%
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	2g	0%

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If fava beans are in the market, you know it’s spring, or spring somewhere nearby. Their giant green pods look like something strange and juicy, perhaps from another planet. In fact, they are the original Mediterranean bean. Early favas are small and tender; they get starchier as the season progresses. Favas are more than a little fussy to peel, but peel you must to appreciate them fully. Fresh fava beans are so good, though, they are worth the effort.

I usually try to enlist help and I always wish I had a houseful of kids or a couple of resident grandmothers… peeling favas makes a nice multigenerational chore. For this salad, the fava beans are removed from the pods, cooked briefly, peeled, and combined with thinly sliced raw fennel (or you could use raw artichokes or asparagus).

INGREDIENTS

8-10 pounds fresh young fava beans in the pod (10 pounds will yield about 6 cups beans)
3-4 fennel bulbs, about 2 pounds
1 bunch scallions, thinly slivered
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Fruity olive oil
1 bunch mint
1 lemon
12 slices cured ham, such as jamón serrano or prosciutto
Arugula leaves (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Shuck the fava beans from their pods. To remove their skins, blanch the beans in boiling water for 10 seconds, then cool in a large basin of ice water. Pop out the beans, piercing the gray-green skin with your thumbnail to free the bright green, barely cooked bean. Cover the favas with a damp towel.

Trim and wash the fennel.

When you are ready to make the salad, slice the fennel into thin shreds (a mandoline works well for this) and put them in a bowl. Add the fava beans, scallions, and a good sprinkling of sea salt. Drizzle generously with fruity olive oil to coat. Coarsely chop the mint leaves and add them, then squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the salad. Toss well with your hands, then taste and correct with salt, oil, and/or lemon juice.

Pile the salad onto a large platter, add a few grinds of black pepper, and surround with thin slices of mountain ham, such as jamón serrano or prosciutto. Or julienne or tear the ham into strips and scatter over the salad. Garnish with a few arugula leaves if you like, and serve immediately.

Recipe Details

Variation: Fava Bean Mash on Toast

If the favas you find are larger and starchier, make a savory fava bean spread. Just buy a few pounds, and stew the peeled beans in ¼ cup olive oil with a little chopped garlic, a few whole cumin seeds, salt, and pepper. Add a glass of water and simmer for about 10 minutes, until soupy. Mash the beans with a wooden spoon, and then spread on garlic toast.

Adapted from "A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes" by David Tanis (Artisan, 2008).

Servings: 8
Cuisine: American
Special Designations: Healthy