Young Artichokes & Fava Beans Stewed in Olive Oil
Submitted by Big Jake
Young artichokes and fava beans stewed slowly in olive oil with garlic, fresh thyme, and winter savory. A rustic Mediterranean vegetable braise perfect for spring.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minThis is spring cooking at its most elemental: two seasonal vegetables, good olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs simmered low and slow until everything turns silky. It’s the kind of dish you’d find on a farmhouse table in Provence or Tuscany, where the produce does the talking.
The artichokes get a head start in the pan, sautéing in half a cup of olive oil with six cloves of minced garlic until they shift from bright green to a deep olive color. Then the fava beans go in, and they keep their vivid green the whole time, which gives the finished dish a beautiful two-tone look.
Winter savory and fresh thyme are the herb pairing here, and that’s not random. Savory has a peppery, slightly bitter edge that cuts through the richness of all that olive oil, while thyme rounds things out.
Kitchen Tips
- Double-peel the fava beans: shell them from the pod, then blanch and slip off the waxy outer skin of each bean. It’s tedious but the difference in texture is night and day
- Drop trimmed artichokes into lemon water (acidulated water) immediately to prevent browning
- Use young, small artichokes if you can find them. They have almost no fuzzy choke to remove
- This dish is meant to be served warm or at room temperature, not piping hot
Variations
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end for brightness
- Toss with short pasta like orecchiette for a full meal
- Substitute frozen lima beans if fresh favas aren’t available, though the flavor will be milder
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare artichokes (see below), then cut small ones in half, larger ones into quarters or sixths; pat dry.
Remove the skins from the shelled favas.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat.
Add garlic and artichoke pieces; sauté, stirring frequently, for 4 or 5 minutes.
Add the fava beans and continue to cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
The artichokes will begin to change color to a deep olive green, but the favas will stay bright green.
Add the winter savory, thyme, salt and pepper.
Stir well, reduce heat to very low, cover, and simmer until the artichokes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
General Preparation of Artichokes: Using kitchen shears, cut off the tops (with their sharp spikes) of the side and bottom leaves.
Trim the base of the artichoke.
Using a large, sharp chef’s knife, cut off the top inch of the artichoke.
Unless you are going to stuff the artichoke, cut it in half lengthwise.
With the edge of a small sharp spoon or with a small, sharp knife, scoop out the exposed thistle.
If you are going to stuff it, however, do not cut in half; carefully scoop out the center leaves along with the thistle.
Put the fresh-trimmed artichokes in acidulated water until ready to proceed with recipe.
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