Fava Beans

[a bunch of fava beans]
Fava Beans
[prepared bacon]
Bacon

[a heap of fava beans]
Fava Beans
[an open fava beans pod, showing beans]
Shelling: Removing Beans from Pods
[shelled fava beans in a pan]
45 Minutes Later
Allergy Warning
Some men and boys have a severe, possibly life-threatening allergic reaction to fava beans. Just eat a few if you've never had them before; please be especially careful with children. Favism - 2

A Dutchman's Fava Beans

For Three or Four
  • Fava Beans (6-8 pounds unshelled, this will yield about 2½ Lb beans)
  • 12-15 strips bacon
  • a few potatoes
  • eggs (optional)
  1. Remove beans from pods; the fingernail-shaped connector piece ('interface') often stays with the pod, remove it if not;
  2. Prepare bacon (I heat up ready-to-serve, fully-cooked on a low fire in frying pan for 12-15 minutes, put on paper towels, discard fat);
  3. Wash beans a few times, then put in a pan and cover with water; bring to a boil, then add 2 oz. (¼ cup, 50 ml) milk and cook for 12 minutes (don't let it boil over);
  4. Drain water, add bacon to fava beans and mix.
  5. Serve with boiled poatoes: peel, wash, put in a pan, fill with an inch of water, bring to a boil; potatoes should cook for 17 minutes, drain, then leave on low fire for two minutes;
    you might add a fried or boiled egg;
  6. When you start cooking the beans and potatoes at the same time, they'll be ready about together.

[a meal of fava beans with bacon, potatoes and a fried egg]
Fava Beans Meal

Meal Preparation Schedule

  1. Start shelling beans at least 1½ hour before your planned dinnertime
  2. When beans are shelled (I hope at about 45 minutes before your planned dinnertime), start preparing bacon (rip 'fully cooked' strips in four or five pieces, cook for about 12 minutes on low fire in large, covered sautee pan;)
  3. meanwhile, peel and wash potatoes, and wash fava beans
  4. Put potatoes in a pan, add water so potatoes are about half to three-quarters covered, put fava beans in a pan and cover with water; bring to a boil, start heating both at the same time
  5. When potatoes are boiling, lower heat and set a timer for 17 minutes; when fava beans are boiling add a little milk (2 oz, 50 ml), lower heat and set another timer for twelve minutes
  6. Start baking eggs about when the potatoes timer says ten minutes left
  7. When the potaotes have boiled for 17 minutes, drain and put back on low fire for 2 minutes
  8. When the fava beans have boiled for twelve minutes, drain and mix in prepared bacon
tuinbonen
spek
gekookte aardappelen
gebakken ei
hear - 2
fava beans ('garden beans')
bacon
boiled potatoes
fried egg

[The Face of Dutch]
Your chef: Marco Schuffelen
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The Great Fava Beans Conspiracy

I have seen many fava beans recipes that call for removing 'inner casings,' a skin on the beans ("Put beans in boiling water, cook for a minute, drain and drop beans in ice water to stop the cooking process. Rub off the skins.") Wat een onzin! -hear- (Such nonsense!) As a Dutchman I have enjoyed and prepared many a meal of fava beans, but I have never removed those 'inner casings,' I cannot imagine my mother sitting down to peel all those beans and I've never found it in a Dutch cookbook. I think the instructions for this time-consuming, tedious and totally unnecessary task scare away many from a nutritious and delicious dish.
Maybe it's a French idea. Freedom Fries, anyone? Well, it's a free country. Feel free to try.

[Italian beans]
Italian Beans 		[French beans]
French Beans 		[]
Belgian Endives

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Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Don't be a dief (thief) - dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2

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