Fava Beans with String Beans and Hazelnuts

Fresh fava beans have such a wonderfully distinct, buttery texture and earthy flavor that it is worth the extra effort to find them. Look for them in markets in the early spring. That said, frozen favas are a good substitution.

SERVES 4 TO 6

1 pound fresh fava beans in their pods or 10 ounces frozen fava beans

½ cup blanched hazelnuts

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound string beans, trimmed and left whole

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves

1 tablespoon hazelnut or walnut oil

½ teaspoon coarsely ground fresh black pepper

Kosher salt

Juice of 1 lemon

3 ounces shaved pecorino, Parmesan, or a hard sheep’s milk cheese

Prepare fresh fava beans according to the directions below. To prepare frozen fava beans, bring a medium saucepan with water to a boil and add the frozen favas. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until al dente, then remove with a slotted spoon and promptly add to an ice bath to stop cooking. When cool, drain, peel off the skins, and set beans aside.

Toast the hazelnuts in a sauté pan over medium heat until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and coarsely chop. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the string beans and sauté until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the drained fava beans and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes to heat through. The string beans should stay crisp and tender.

Transfer the beans to a serving bowl, stir in the tarragon, and drizzle the nut oil on top. Add the hazelnuts, black pepper, and salt to taste and toss together to coat. Just before serving, add squeezed lemon juice, toss once more, then top with the shaved cheese. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Flageolet Beans with Herbs and Tomato

This is one of our recipes that allow the cook’s creativity (or pantry supplies) to dictate the final dish. If you don’t have dried beans, you can use 4 (15-ounce) cans of white beans, drained and rinsed (then start the recipe with sautéing the garlic). This dish only gets better the next day. To turn this into a light main course, see our variation below.

SERVES 8 to 10 as a side

2 cups (1 pound) dried flageolet or small white beans, soaked (see Soaking Dried Beans, here)

2 whole garlic cloves, peeled, lightly smashed, plus 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 bay leaf

4 (3-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Place the soaked beans in a medium saucepan with the whole garlic cloves, bay leaf, and rosemary. Cover with water by at least 2 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer partially covered until the beans are tender but not mushy, about 2 hours. Drain the beans and discard the garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped garlic and sauté until just beginning to color and release its aroma, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cooked beans and stir to combine. Break up the whole tomatoes with your hands or with a spoon and add them to the pan (do not add the liquid from the can). Simmer over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes, until cooked through. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

VARIATION

To turn this delicious side dish into a main course: Add lamb or beef sausage. Slice ½ pound sausage and brown for about 12 minutes in the sauté pan before you cook the garlic. Remove the sausage. Add the olive oil and garlic to the pan and cook until the garlic is just beginning to color. Return the sausage to the pan, add the cooked beans and tomatoes, and follow the instructions above.

Orange-Scented Black Beans with Crispy Onions

We all save recipes over the years and it’s interesting to see which ones we go back to over time. This is based on an old recipe from the New York Times that we’ve updated. For an elegant main course, serve the beans under roasted or pan-seared fish, top with the crispy onions, and garnish with additional orange slices.

SERVES 4

Beans

1 red bell pepper

3 or 4 poblano peppers

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed, minced

1 cup dried black beans, soaked (see Soaking Dried Beans, below); or 1 (18-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crispy Onions

1½ tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

Sunflower or grapeseed oil, for frying

2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

Garnish

3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions

½ cup chopped cilantro

All dried beans must be soaked before cooking. There are a couple of ways to do this. If you have the time, soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover them by 2 to 3 inches. Drain and rinse and follow your recipe for cooking the beans.

If you’re pressed for time, or forgot to pre-soak, don’t worry. Here is the quick-soak method: In a large pot, combine 1 cup beans with water to cover by 2 to 4 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit until the beans have softened, about 1 hour. Drain, rinse, and follow your recipe for cooking the beans.

NOTE: The age of your beans will dictate how long they will need to cook until they are tender. We have made suggestions, but don’t be surprised if they need to cook longer for proper texture.

To make the beans, char the whole red and poblano peppers over an open flame or in the broiler, turning until the skins are completely black and blistered. Place the peppers in a paper bag, close, and let cool. Remove the skins by rubbing the peppers between 2 paper towels. Seed and dice the peppers. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and jalapeño, and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. If using soaked beans, add them with the bay leaf and enough water to cover by 2 to 4 inches. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 1 to 1½ hours, until the beans are soft but not mushy. If using canned beans, add them to the onions with the bay leaf, but omit the water, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir the orange zest into the beans and continue cooking until the beans are tender but maintain their shape, about 20 minutes more. Discard the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the diced red and poblano peppers.

Meanwhile, make the crispy onions. Place the flour on a plate and add the salt. Heat ½ inch of sunflower oil in a heavy medium skillet over high heat. Add one-third of the onions to the flour mixture and toss lightly to coat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and carefully add just enough of the onions to cover the bottom of the pan. Fry, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until golden and crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat if the onions appear to be browning too quickly. Transfer the onions to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining onions, always being careful not to crowd the pan.

Garnish the beans with the scallions, cilantro, and crispy onions and serve.