From the Spring Share 2014 – Fava Beans: how do I cook with that?
Ingredients
2 cups shelled fresh fava beans (from about 2 lbs. of pods)
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups Arborio rice, uncooked
1 cup dry white wine
2 large leeks, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bunch spinach, trimmed, leaves torn
1 cup fresh peas
1 cup finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Preparation
1. Shell favas and peas. Blanche them together in boiling water 1–2 minutes. Shock in ice water. Peel favas and set aside with drained peas.
2. Bring broth to a simmer in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover and keep warm.
3. Heat olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add leeks, fennel and garlic. Cook, stirring often until vegetables are softened. Add rice and stir to coat, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated.
4. Add 1 cup broth. Cook, stirring often (but not constantly), until broth is almost absorbed. Add remaining broth by cupfuls, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more each time. Stir often until rice is tender but still firm to the bite and mixture is creamy (about 20 minutes).
5. Add spinach, reserved favas and peas, the grated cheese, chives and remaining tablespoon of butter to risotto. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted and cheese is melted. Season with salt.
Optional: For some extra fanciness, you could finish this dish with a poached egg nestled atop each serving of risotto. And if you’re a meat eater, try it with some crumbled, cooked bacon, too.
