Broad bean bruschetta

by Cookery School on 23/07/10 at 2:10 pm

The most versatile of beans

Is any vegetable more reminiscent of summer than the gorgeous broad bean?

It is also the most versatile of vegetables – working beautifully in risottos, pasta, and salads and – as Hannibal Lector says – it also goes perfectly with a glass of Chianti.

When dried, broad beans are wonderful in winter stews and soups, but as summer gets underway, and the young beans are plucked from the pod, they are so tender they can also be eaten raw.

Broad beans are the oldest of all our beans, dating back to stone age times. Mystical beliefs were that broad beans, when offered in marriage, could even ensure the birth of a son. The Egyptians believed that when a person died, his soul temporarily resided in a broad bean prior to passing into the next life.

In 17th and 18th century Britain, the bean was viewed as a bringer of good luck and an integral part of a Twelfth Night cake – finding the dried bean in your slice was a real honour.

The broad bean is also an ancient staple of many Middle Eastern, north African and European cuisines. In Egypt, the most popular way of preparing the beans is by taking the mashed, cooked beans and adding oil, garlic, lemon, salt and cumin and serving at breakfast.

In Italy, the raw beans are served with a piece of pecorino cheese and in Greece they are also traditionally eaten raw, washed down with some ouzo. Habas fritas (deep fried or roasted broad beans) are a wonderful Spanish bar snack, great with a glass of cold beer.

Broad beans are also exceptionally easy to grow and extremely nutritious; full of phosphorous, vitamin A and C and rich in protein. If you keep the beans in a cool, dry place in their pods, they will keep for two or three days.

The beans need to be eaten soon otherwise the carbohydrates in the beans turn to sugar which in turn changes the flavour and texture of the bean. To cook the beans, pod and steam or boil for five minutes if the beans are young and tender, then slip them out of their skins.

Broad beans go best with simple, fresh summery flavours like herbs, lemon juice, olive oil and other green veg. Here at Cookery School, we love to make a simple herby broad bean bruschetta and serve with a glass of chilled white wine.

BROAD BEAN BRUSCHETTA

3 cups broad beans
1 clove garlic, crushed
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
handful parsley, chopped
handful mint, chopped
juice of one lemon
salt to taste
8 slices sourdough bread for bruschetta

METHOD

1. Pod the beans and place in boiling water for 5 minutes.

2. Drain and slip the beans out of their skins.

3. Smash the beans using a potato masher and mix with the oil, lemon juice, parsley, mint and salt.

4. Grill the sourdough on both sides for a couple of minutes until lightly golden.

5. Top the sourdough slices with the broad beans and drizzle with some more olive oil.

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