A Pugliese masterpiece. Creamy fava bean purée served alongside bitter wild chicory, drizzled with great olive oil. The contrast — sweet, earthy, bitter, rich — is sublime.
Fave e Cicoria
A Pugliese masterpiece. Creamy fava bean purée served alongside bitter wild chicory, drizzled with great olive oil. The contrast — sweet, earthy, bitter, rich — is sublime.
Ingredients
Method
- Drain favas. Put in a pot with the potato, halved onion, and water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then a gentle simmer. No salt yet.
- Cook 50-60 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Favas should turn very soft and most water absorbed. Add splashes of hot water if dry.
- Once favas are completely soft, fish out the onion. Whisk vigorously (or briefly use an immersion blender) — you want a creamy thick purée. Salt, white pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Cook the chicory: bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in greens; cook 5 minutes until tender. Drain.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil with garlic and chili (if using). Add drained chicory; toss for 2 minutes. Salt to taste.
- Plate: spoon fava purée into shallow bowls. Pile chicory next to it. Generous drizzle of olive oil over both. Crusty bread on the side.
Notes
Split fava beans (skinless) are the key — find them in any Italian market or online. Don’t substitute regular favas — they have skins that need removing, and the texture is wrong.