Sautéed Chicory with Fava Bean Purée

La storia di questo piatto

This is the quiet poetry of Mediterranean peasant tables: bitter greens and humble dried fava beans, transformed by patience and good oil into something that feels like a blessing from the land itself.

Ingredienti

• 300 g Catalogna chicory
• 100 g Dried hulled fava beans
• 35 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 5 g Salt
• 1 g Black pepper
• 700 ml Water

Preparazione

1. Dried hulled fava beans require no extended soaking. Place them in a pot with 600 ml of cold water (covering them by 3-4 fingers), without salt. Bring to a boil, skim, and simmer gently for 60-70 minutes, stirring occasionally: they are ready when they fall apart easily when pressed with a spoon, becoming soft and creamy. Exact cooking time varies depending on the quality and age of the beans; if after 70 minutes they remain firm, continue cooking and add hot water gradually. Salt with 2 g of salt only at the end of cooking. Remove and reserve one ladle of cooking water (already included in the initial 600 ml) before draining.
2. In a small saucepan, warm 15 ml of oil with one crushed garlic clove and let it brown gently, then discard it. Add the infused oil to the fava beans, let cool for a few minutes, and purée with an immersion blender in a tall container, adding a little of the reserved cooking water from step 1 until you reach a dense and creamy consistency. Adjust seasoning with 1 g of salt and a pinch of black pepper.
3. Wash and cut the chicory into pieces. Warm the remaining 15 ml of oil in a skillet with one garlic clove and brown it lightly over low heat.
4. Immediately add the chicory to the skillet with the infused oil and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add 80 ml of water, cover, and braise over medium heat for 10 minutes until tender. Season with 2 g of salt and a pinch of black pepper.
5. Plate the dish: spread the fava bean purée as the base and arrange the braised chicory on top. Finish with 5 ml of raw extra virgin olive oil (taken from the 35 ml total).