{"id":11615,"date":"2010-06-12T18:46:28","date_gmt":"2010-06-12T16:46:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coquinaria.nl\/?p=11615"},"modified":"2019-11-24T20:13:58","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T19:13:58","slug":"broad-beans-puree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coquinaria.nl\/en\/broad-beans-puree\/","title":{"rendered":"Pur\u00e9e from broad beans"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Straight to the recipe<\/small><\/a><\/p>\n

\"HarvestingThis recipe for broad beans is taken from the sixteenth-century cookbook\u00a0Opera<\/em>\u00a0by Italian Bartolomeo Scappi (see\u00a0bibliography<\/a>). more on Scappi and his book:\u00a0Tortelli in brodo<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Broccoli in de Opera<\/a>). In the\u00a0Libro Terzo<\/em>\u00a0(Book III, with recipes for Lent and fish days) of this cookbook is the following recipe for\u00a0minestre<\/em>\u00a0(a first course, thick soup or pottage) with fresh peas, broad beans, chick peas or\u00a0Phaseolus<\/em>\u00a0beans. Whatever legume, as long as they are fresh, and not dried. (Mind:\u00a0Phaseolus<\/em>\u00a0beans are the American beans – Lima beans, haricot beans – already on the menu in Europe by then). In Italy you can find fresh broad beans from March onward. Where I live, in the Netherlands, fresh broad beans aren’t available until the end of May, too late for Lent (see this article with\u00a0recipes for Good Friday<\/a>) so we’ll have to prepare them on one of the weekly fish days (Friday, Wednessday, and\/or Tuesday and Saturday, depending on century and location).<\/p>\n

Of course, Scappi also privides us with a version for meat-days (Libro Secundo<\/em>). In this version the beans or peas are cooked in fat broth with sliced pork jowl, and brought to taste with anise and parsley. Here, the pur\u00e9ing of part of the beans is optional, but then you also add pepper and cinamon. And if you want a richer dish, add stuffed goat-kid heads, young cockerels, doves, young goslings and ducklings. The recipe starts with the season of fresh peas and broad beans: “which in Rome goes from the end of March throughout June” (edition<\/a>\u00a0p.234).<\/p>\n

A Roman recipe<\/a> with broad beans.

<\/div><\/p>\n

The original recipe<\/h2>\n

The English translation is by Terence Scully (edition\u00a0p.367, see bibliography<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Per far minestra di Piselli & Fave fresche\u00a0<\/em>(Liber III, 249)
\nPiglinosi i piselli o baccelli, sgraninosi, & ponganosi in un uaso con oglio d’ oliue, sale, & pepe, & faccianosi soffriggere pian piano, aggiungendoui tanta acqua tinta di zafferano, che stiano coperti di due dita, & come saranno poco men che cotti, pestisene una parte nel mortaro, e stemperisi con il medesimo brodo, & mettasi nel uaso con una branchata d’ herbuccie battute, e faccianosi leuare il bollo, e seruanosi caldi. In questo medesimo modo si pu`o accomodare il cece fresco, hauendolo prima fatto perlessare, & fatto stare per un quarto d’ hora nell’ acqua fresca. In questo modo ancho si cuoce il fagiolo fresco.<\/em><\/div>
To prepare a thick soup of fresh peas or beans
\nGet peas in their pods, shell them and put them into a pot with olive oil, salt and pepper. Saut\u00e9 them gently, adding in enough water, tinged with saffron, to cover them by two fingers. When they are slightly underdone, grind some of them in a mortar, moistening them with that same broth, and put them back into the pot with a handful of beaten fine herbs. Bring it all to a boil and serve it hot.
\nYou can do fresh chick peas the same way, having first parboiled them and let them sit a quarter of an hour in cool water. Fresh beans are also done that way.<\/div>
<\/div><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>Modern adaptation of the recipe<\/h2>\n

Since a part of the beans will be pur\u00e9ed in this recipe, they have to be double-podded. Otherwise you’ll spend a lot of time fishing the tough grey skins out of your pur\u00e9e. From 1 kilo (8 cups or little less than 1 dry quart) bean pods you get about 330 gram (3 cups) shelled broad beans. If you double-pod these beans, you’re left with about 220 gram (2 cups). The\u00a0minestre<\/em>\u00a0is nourishing and very broad-beany tasting. If you want a deeper flavour, use good chicken stock instead of water. This adaptation is for broad beans, but you can prepare the dish with any kind of bean (or pea). Just as long as these are fresh, not dried. On the picture below the dish is garnished with some violets, completely random.
\nFirst course<\/span>\u00a0or\u00a0side dish<\/span>\u00a0for 4 to 6 persons (because very filling)<\/span>; preparation in advance<\/em>\u00a0\u00a020 minutes<\/span><\/span>; preparation<\/em>\u00a015 minutes<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"Pur\u00e9e2\u00bd kilo (2\u00bc quarts) broad beans in their pods, or 900 gr frozen broad beans<\/span> (600 gram\/6 cups when double-podded)
\n2 Tbsp olive oil
\nsalt and pepper to taste
\n\u00bc\u00a0tsp\u00a0saffron threads<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with 1 Tbsp boiling water
\n50 gr herbs<\/span>\u00a0(parsley, oregano, mint, sage, basil)
\n3\u00bd dl (1\u00bd cup) boiling water<\/p>\n

Preparation in advance<\/h3>\n

Shell the broad beans and double-pod or skin them.
\nChop the herbs without stalks. The recipe mentions\u00a0herbuccie battute<\/em>, which would indicate pounded herbs, more like a pur\u00e9e.
\nCrush the saffron in one tablespoon hot water, to release the colour.<\/p>\n

Preparation<\/h3>\n

Heat the olive oil in a thick-bottomed skillet. Temper the heat, add broad beans, pepper and salt, and stir to cover the beans with oil. Now add saffron water and the rest of the boiling water. Cover, and let simmer at low heat for five minutes. Drain the beans, but save the cooking liquid. Pur\u00e9e half the beans in a blender with the cooking liquid to a thick consistency. Return to the pan with the remaing whole broad beans and herbs. Heat through gently until it almost boils, keep stirring to prevent burning. Then serve.<\/p>\n

To\u00a0 serve<\/h3>\n

As a warm first course in early summer. This dish can be served in a modern menu, it will be fun to tell guests afterwards that the recipe is nearly 500 years old. Serve with toasted wholegrain bread.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Bibliography<\/h2>\n

The editions below were used by me. Links refer to available editions.<\/p>\n