Forget the tough-skinned broad beans of your youth. Suitably prepared, this vegetable can be bliss to eat.
Most people I meet would prefer not to eat a fresh broad bean if it meant they had to double-pod them in order to do so, or they are haunted by memories of eating tepid khaki-green beans, still in their tough skins, in thick white sauce cooked by their mothers. Understandably, they never want to go near this vege-table for the rest of their lives and they remain unconvinced of the sheer unbridled joy that a suitably prepared broad bean can bring.
To many people, the notion of podding fresh broad beans, let alone double-podding them, is nonsensical. For some, it is a radical idea, to others, high-minded. Those of us who prefer to remove the bean from its down-lined sleeping bag of a pod and then from its tough grey skin truly understand the charm of this glorious legume and will spend the time doing so, enjoying the tactile pleasure it brings.
Broad beans are one of the hero ingredients of summer, and this early in the season, when the beans are tiny and tender, they can be eaten raw in a salad, needing little dressing. I will cook them if I have to, but there is something about their delicate newness that stops me going overboard.
As the season slowly moves on, and the skins become thicker, they will need peeling and cooking but I take the same simple approach as to what works well with the bean’s clean flavours.
Lemon, mint, basil and the soft leaves of a butterhead lettuce go well, and the soft, less-pungent cheeses such as fresh mozza-rella, feta and ricotta make suitable partners. The beans make a terrific dip, and on a hot day I eat it spread thickly on toast with some tomato slices sprinkled with chopped chives. Their delicate taste can stand up to the -flavours of baked fish, and even the relative robustness of a pork chop is not enough to overpower them.
The philosophical debate over the physical idea of double-podding may never be put to rest, but I hope you will give it a try. One of my favourite quick meals is a pan-fried pork chop, and the perfect accompaniment is this balanced salad, with just enough sharpness from the dressing to cut the richness of the meat. I use Clevedon Valley buffalo -mozzarella, but failing that, choose the softest mozzarella you can find.
Pork Chops with Broad Bean and Mozzarella Salad
750g broad beans (about 300g shelled weight)
10 sage leaves
sage flowers
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large buffalo mozzarella
salt and black pepper
50g unsalted butter
2 pork loin chops
Pod the beans, then boil them in a saucepan of salted water until tender – about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse them under cold running water. Pop the larger beans from their skins, then set all the beans aside. Finely shred the sage leaves and mix with the flowers and sherry vinegar. Whisk in the oil to make the dressing. Cut the mozzarella into thick slices and mix through the beans, then gently toss through the dressing and taste for salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat until it foams, then add the chops. Cook until golden on both sides – seasoning each side after it has been turned. After about 8-10 minutes, the juices should be running clear. Remove the chops from the pan and serve with the salad on the side, pouring any pan juices over the meat.
Serves 2.
I took my inspiration for this dish from something I ate at Melbourne’s Cumulus Inc restaurant. Chef-owner Andrew McConnell’s food is clear and unpretentious, but at the same time stylishly sophisticated. If you don’t have peas in your garden, I recommend you head down to your garden centre and buy some, even if it’s just for the shoots. Failing that, they are available at many supermarkets.
Raw Tuna with Broad Bean Purée, Pea Shoots and Borage Flowers
2 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
100g broad beans (shelled weight)
salt and black pepper
50ml water
juice of ½ a lemon
For the Tuna
100g tuna fillet
1 tbsp olive oil plus a little extra
a pinch of chilli flakes
sea salt
80g pea shoots
borage flowers
Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently cook the shallots and garlic for 2-3 minutes without letting them colour. Add the beans and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the water and bring to the boil, then cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the contents of the pan to a food processor and purée until smooth, adding the lemon juice. Use extra oil if the mixture is too thick. Pour the purée into a bowl and set aside.
Cut the tuna into 1cm chunks, then place in a bowl with the oil and chilli flakes. Season with a little sea salt, then gently fold in the pea shoots and borage flowers.
Place a spoonful of the broad bean purée on each plate and top with a pile of the tuna mixture. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the top of the salad and the purée.
Serves 2.
Simple ingredients, when combined with other flavours and handled intelligently, work beautifully. Everything comes together to provide a dish of spectacular honesty. Choose the freshest fish and you will be in seventh heaven.
Snapper, Broad Beans and Creamy Vinaigrette
olive oil
4 x 200g fillets of snapper
salt
juice of a lemon
750g broad beans in their pods (300g shelled weight)
dressing
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 shallots
juice of a lemon
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of tarragon
2 sprigs of chervil
2 sprigs of basil
2 sprigs of dill
1 tsp sugar
1 free-range egg
100ml olive oil
100ml peanut oil
salt and black pepper
Set the oven to 180°C. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in an ovenproof dish over a medium heat. Sprinkle the fish with salt and cook in the hot oil until golden brown on one side – about a minute. Carefully turn the fish over and bake for 6-8 minutes until the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fish and carefully lift the pieces out onto warm plates. Pod the beans and boil them in salted water until tender – about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse them under cold running water. Pop the larger beans from their skins and set all the beans aside. Toss the beans in enough dressing to lightly coat them, then place next to the fish and serve.
To make the dressing, blend all the ingredients, except the oils, in a liquidiser until smooth. Combine the oils. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oils in a thin stream until a thick dressing forms. Season with salt and pepper, then refrigerate until needed. Makes 1 cup.
Serves 4.