Fava bean purée
A food mill makes shorter work of this fava bean purée that I love to make at this time of year. Yes, the dip is easy to make in a food processor — but first you have to skin three pounds of fresh fava beans, which is about as much fun as it sounds. With the food mill I can just cook the shelled beans in salted boiling water; then I put them through the mill and discard the skins.
From the story: In praise of the food mill
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Boil the fava beans until tender, about 8 minutes (10 if the beans are very large). Drain and transfer immediately to the cold water to stop the cooking process, then drain in a colander, ridding the beans of any excess water.
Fit a food mill with the fine blade. Puree the beans into a bowl.
Place the garlic cloves and salt into a large mortar and pestle and mash to a paste. Add the fava beans, along with the cumin, ¼ cup olive oil and the lemon juice and mash together until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning and flavoring if desired.
Serve the purée from the mortar, or mound onto a platter or in a wide bowl. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon oil over the top and garnish, if desired, with olives. Serve with warm triangles of pita bread.
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