Ingredients
2 or more pounds of unshelled fava beans
1 ounce of prosciutto or bacon, minced
1/2 cup stock, or more, depending on how many beans you have
3 shallots or a small onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 medium carrot, diced
2 TB olive oil
1 TB butter
Directions
Cook the prosciutto over medium low heat until it’s crispy. Set aside, but leave any oil in the pan to cook the fava beans.
Shell the fava beans and peel them if you want. If they are fairly big, you should peel them. But, it isn’t necessary with beans smaller than your thumb fingernail. They do look prettier peeled, so that is a consideration. To peel–blanch the beans in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes. Take out a bean to test. It should pop out easily. Drain and refresh the beans with cold water, then peel the beans.
Saute the shallots, garlic and carrots in the olive oil, until the carrots are ready to your liking. Add the beans and the stock. The stock shouldn’t cover the beans, it should come half way up on them. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Sample the beans to see if they are done. If they are freshly picked and small, they will cook very quickly. When the beans are done to your liking you can serve as is. However, I like to scoop the beans out with a slotted spoon and boil the stock down until it’s syrupy. Then I add the butter, salt and pepper to taste and pour it over the beans. Sprinkle the crispy prosciutto bits on top. Garnish with parsley or shredded spring onions.
