Fava Salad with Mint and Pecorino
Ingredients
- 2 lbs whole young favas
- about 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- about 2 oz Pecorino Romano or Pecorino Toscano cheese
- a few leaves fresh mint
- a lemon optional
Instructions
- Set a pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, Shell the favas, removing the beans from their padded pods. Add the beans to the boiling water for NO LONGER than about 30 seconds. Drain them in a colander, then rinse them with cold water.
- Next, peel away the outer skin on each individual bean. With a pairing knife, trim a bit of the casing from the tip of the bean and carefully make a slit down the edge of the bean. You should be able to slip the rubbery outer casing away like shedding off a jacket. The peeled favas should be flexible and bright green. If it's yellow or hard-do not use it as that means it is old. Split some of the fava beans in half and leave others whole. Toss with olive oil and set aside in a bowl.
- Coarsely chop the mint leaves, then ad them to the bowl with the favas. Toss with salt and pepper. Use a vegetable peeler to shave in a few curls of cheese, avoiding any rind. Taste. Fold in a trickle of lemon juice, if you like, and taste again. Transfer to plates or a platter and garnish with additional curls of cheese and a sprinkle of mint. Serve immediately.