Fresh favas are at the markets now. Chef Costa’s salad is an easy and delicious way to eat them.
Wine pairing: Marotti Campi Verdicchio Riserva Salmariano, Le Marche.
Try to use both fresh peas and fava beans when they are at their peak to ensure your dish has the best contrast of flavours and textures. Ideally you are sourcing the vegetables from a local farmer in the middle of the summer. I like to ask the farmers for a taste of each before purchasing, the peas should be both sweet and tender whereas favas tend to have a slight bitterness which is welcomed in my kitchen.
| thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma or San Daniele | |
| 2 handfuls | fresh fava beans |
| 2 handfuls | fresh peas |
| lemon | |
| extra virgin olive oil | |
| black pepper | |
| piece | Pecorino Fresco |
Bring a small pot of salted water to the boil.
While the water is heating, remove the fava beans from their pod. Blanch the fava beans for 45 seconds in the boiling water, then refresh in ice water. Remove and discard the outer shell of the fava bean. The inside bean is bright green, sweet and tender.
Remove the peas from their pods. If the peas are slightly woody, blanch them in the boiling water for 30 seconds and refresh in an ice bath.
Place the shelled fava beans and peas in a small mixing bowl.
Arrange the sliced prosciutto on a flat plate.
Squeeze a quarter of a lemon, along with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a few cracks of coarsely ground black pepper in the bowl of fava beans and peas, mix well.
Spoon the dressed fava beans and peas sporadically over the sliced prosciutto. Top with freshly grated pecorino fresco, more black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.