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Broad beans in their pods, photo by Jules (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr.
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Broad beans with both outer and inner shell removed, photo by Jules (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr.
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Faves a la Catalana, photo by Alba Rosa.
In Catalunya, broad beans have formed part of the local cuisine since ancient times, and this recipe dates back to the mid-19th century. Today it is a very popular dish, normally consumed during the harvest season, which lasts from February until late June.
Preparation time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 750 g broad beans
- 250 g panceta or bacon
- 200 g botifarra negra
- 200 g botifarra de perol
- 2 onions
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 1 glass of white wine
- 2 bunches of mint
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Olive oil
- Salt
METHOD
- Cut the bacon into strips and fry in a little oil. Once cooked, set aside.
- Slice the two types of botifarra into 1.5 cm discs and place them in the same pan. Cook for one minute on each side and remove from the heat.
- Peel and finely chop the onions. Cut garlic in small slices. Fry both the onions and garlic over a medium heat for approximately 10 minutes, in the same pan used for the botifarras.
- Roughly chop the tomatoes and mint. Add the broad beans, tomatoes, mint and white wine to the pan. Stir and cover.
- After about 20 minutes, add the cooked panceta, botifarras and paprika. Season to taste.
- Cook for five minutes, then turn the heat off and set aside for a couple of minutes. Serve it hot, making sure the botifarras don’t melt.
CHEF’S TIPS
- The cooking time of the beans can vary depending on how tender they are.
- This dish can also be made with unshelled broad beans, but they should be small and ripe.
- The tomato is optional. You can also use a little pork chop instead of panceta or bacon.
- Peas can also be added.
Toni Rocamora is the head chef of a big family, and lover of all gastronomy-related sports, such as snail hunting, mushroom collecting and market shopping. Toni was born in Oliana, a small town in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and inherited his passion for cooking from his mother, famous for her family recipes.