Rustic Spanish Broad (Fava) Beans

By fortunate accident, I ordered these beans in a small family-run restaurant in Madrid, Spain. I spent the next three days scouring bookstores and tourist shops in the city until I found the recipe for these "Catalan Broad Beans." I adapted the recipe slightly to suit products and cookware available to me and I think the slight variation on the traditional recipe remains true to the flavours and is equally delicious -- it's become a staple in my house.

Shelling and de-skinning the fava beans is a bit of a chore, but the end result of the labor is worth it. The inner bean is tender and tasty and they cook up quickly (cook time for the whole dish is around 15 minutes).

Makes an excellent side dish or can be served over rice as a main.

Rustic Spanish Broad (Fava) Beans

2 cups shelled broad (fava beans) – outer skin also removed
2 cloves garlic minced
Serrano or Iberico ham cut into strips
1 small onion chopped
1 small glass (3-4oz) of sweet sherry
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
2 white sausages cut into rounds
Fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped

Sauté onion and garlic in ample amount of olive oil, add the ham and cook until all items are transparent. Add the broad beans and parsley. Cover the mixture with water and add the glass of sherry. Cook until the beans are tender. Add the sausage.