Dried fava bean purée with sautéed chicory

Ingredients

For 1 serving

• Dried fava beans70 g
• Chicory greens150 g
• Extra virgin olive oil1.5 teaspoons
• Garlic1.5 cloves
• Chili pepperto taste
• Saltto taste

In season: October – April

Method

1. The night before, soak the dried split broad beans in plenty of cold water.
2. Drain, rinse and put them in a pot, just covered with water; bring to the boil over medium heat, then turn to low, cover and cook for about an hour, stirring now and then and adding a little hot water if they dry out, until they fall apart on their own.
3. Meanwhile clean the chicory: discard damaged leaves and the tough base, wash it well in several changes of water and cut it into 4–5 cm pieces.
4. With 15 minutes left on the beans, bring a pan of water to the boil, salt it and cook the chicory for 5 minutes, until the stems are tender; drain, squeezing lightly.
5. Mash the beans with a wooden spoon or a whisk, beating until you have a creamy purée, and salt it.
6. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat with the peeled, crushed garlic and the chilli for a minute, until the garlic is golden; add the chicory and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring, until it takes on the flavour.
7. Spoon the hot purée onto the plate and arrange the chicory on top.