Warm Frisée and Fava Bean Salad
Cookbook
Fresh from the Farmers' Market: Year-Round Recipes for the Pick of the Crop
Published by Chronicle
A type of chicory with fine, frilly leaves and a blanched heart, frisée has a gentle bitterness that complements sweet fava beans. Look for a small head of frisée with a lot of white or pale yellow heart, and tear the leaves into small pieces so they’re easy to eat.
Serves4
Cooking Methodsauteeing
CostInexpensive
Total Timeunder 30 minutes
OccasionCasual Dinner Party
Recipe Courseappetizer
Mealbrunch, lunch
Taste and Texturecrisp, herby, savory
Type of Dishsalad, warm salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fava beans
- 2 ounces pancetta (1 slice, ¼ inch thick), sliced crosswise in ¼ inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- ¼ pound young, tender frisee torn into very small pieces
- 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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To double-peel fava beans:
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Shell the beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add beans and boil 2 minutes if large, 1 minute if small; drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain when cool, then remove the outer skin from each bean by pinching open the end of the bean opposite the end that connected it to the pod. The peeled bean will slip out easily. You should have about 1 to 1¼ cups peeled beans.
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Saute pancetta in olive oil in a skillet over moderately low heat until it renders most of its fat and begins to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add shallots and sauté until softened, about 1 minute.
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Put frisée in a serving bowl. Add contents of skillet, parsley and vinegar.
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Toss well, then add favas, season with salt and pepper and toss again.
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Taste and adjust seasoning.
1997 and 2008 Janet Fletcher
