fava bean help
i bought some fava beans at fairway this afternoon. this evening i peeled them, poached them in shallots, garlic, olive oil, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay until they were tender, and then sat down to eat them. they were DISGUSTING. bitter as ##$%!!!
what did i do wrong?
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14 Comments:
it's hard to say without seeing them.
when you peeled them, do you mean you shelled them or actually peeled the skin off each bean? were the shells green or yellow? how big were they? was there any black on the pod?
i'm assuming they were fresh, not dried?
because fresh ones don't need to be cooked "until tender". they can practically be eaten raw & they're tender. i usually do a quick blanch and shock to peel them & then saute quickly in some butter. poaching them seems like it'd overcook them.
saltcrystal at 3:28AM on 05/01/09
shelled them, peeled them. fresh ones, bright green, with snappy pods.
cybercita at 9:07AM on 05/01/09
yeah they'd taste disgusting if you overcook them.
hmw0029 at 9:32AM on 05/01/09
saute with a little butter and salt for a minute. Make sure you get that outer coating off.
bltzie at 12:02PM on 05/01/09
hi, i know what you mean. i also bought fava beans at fairway and they weren't good. they really were bitter. too bad, i was so excited to see them at fairway.
cupcup at 12:32PM on 05/01/09
I think you just got a bad bunch of beans. I have eaten the young ones raw, done them blanched, peeled and sauteed quickly as others suggested. But when I have some of the older, tougher beans, I sometimes braise them slowly in a bit of water with onions, olive oil, garlic until the flavor becomes milder- I've never had them grow more bitter.
You can actually use this technique for very young favas in the pod- they will cook for a maybe an hour or more and they become a whole other taste. Served barely warm with thick yogurt and dill, they're a real treat.
CatBoy at 5:27PM on 05/01/09
thanks, everyone -- @cupcup, i think you're right, i got a bad batch. i'll taste them more carefully next time before i buy.
cybercita at 12:58AM on 05/03/09
The only way I have eaten them is the fava bean puree that we made at a restaurant I worked at. Cook the fava beans until tender then garlic, lemon, and some olive oil and puree it up and serve on a mezze platter with some flatbread. Absolutley addictive!!!!!!
topchef at 11:09AM on 05/03/09
@topchef, dried or fresh?
cybercita at 1:18PM on 05/03/09
I puree the fresh ones (pinch of nutmeg, butter, splash of cream) and serve in small portions with something roasted. Problem is, you have to either peel them before pureeing in a processor, or use a food mill, because the skins will not puree, they just end up as little unpleasant bits determined to lodge in your throat.
In the middle East, the dried beans are cooked and pureed, not unlike hummus. I believe this is Egypt's most often consumed dish- Fal Mudamas, or somegthing along those lines.
CatBoy at 5:59PM on 05/03/09
By "peeling" them did you just mean taking them out of the pods?
Fava beans have pods and shells; if the favas are young you only need to take them out of the pod, if favas are older & large they my also have to have the shells removed to get rid of the bitter taste (kind of alot of work).
Oh, by the way you can cook them in the pods, in the shells or totally peeled....
HelloChris at 11:34AM on 05/04/09
got them out of pods and then peeled the skins away from the beans. still bitter. it must have been a bad batch.
cybercita at 2:22PM on 05/04/09
You didnt serve them with a man's liver and a nice bottle of chianti...LOL
nhfoodie at 8:47AM on 05/05/09
OH! of course! the liver is what made it so bitter! i forgot to trim it!
cybercita at 10:13PM on 05/05/09