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gustus elementa per omnia quaerunt

Monday, October 08, 2007

Something to put under a steak

box of broad beans

Broad beans are in season. I was reminded of this when a red faced man came in to an art exhibition I was at with a box full of them. I couldn't understand what he was
saying, but the other people could. This made me wonder if they really did understand him, or if they'd just got used to pretending to understanding him, and that if thats what I sounded like by the time I got to double digit drink figures. There's always a look down like they'd written down what they were going to say earlier but couldn't find it and then a blurt. He couldn't understand what I was saying.

If you've struggled to reattach the choke cable on a bike's carburettor or tried to send a text message, you'll like broad beans. Broad beans are like peas but for people with big hands.

The pods also have a fetching green velvet interior. This may trigger issues. The broad beans will peel once more, revealing a smaller, shinier bean.
Starting with about half a kilo of broad beans,
Remove the broad beans from their pod and boil in salted water for five minutes
remove the outer skin from 20 of the larger beans to allow the inner beans to be scattered around as decorations.
Chop the remaining outer beans.
Peel and chop an equivalent amount of japanese pumpkin into bite sized pieces and roast in olive oil/vegetable oil until soft. Allow a little browning. Mash and add to the chopped beans
Sautee half a finely chopped spanish onion and add.
Roast some pepitas in the oven and add. Pepitas are pumpkin seeds and if you were being especially resourceful, you could have saved them from the pumpkin. They add a bit of crunch interest to what's otherwise quite soft.
Season.
Shape into patties and fry on either side.
Place under a steak.

Additional notes: Roasting pumpkin makes it sweeter, as does sauteeing the red onions, the outer bean is a little bitter so there's your balance right there.

Extra bonus broad bean pasta sauce:
-pan fry some sliced chicken breast in olive oil with seasoning and a squeeze of lemon and reserve.
-add some more olive oil and fry large some chopped up bits of mini-japanese tomatoes with a couple of finely chopped garlic cloves and a chopped red chilli. Let them cook and reduce a little and you can pick out any bits of skin if you're bothered
-chop up some broccolini and baby courgettes. Dunk them in the boiling pasta water for a minute or so just to take a bit of the rawness off. Add to the frypan. and stir through.
-take the broad beans out of their pod and boil for four minutes. Add to the pan and stir through.
-return the chicken, making sure you add all the collected chicken juices.
-place on pasta (the sauce isn;t that saucy so you might wnat to mix a little EVOO in with the pasta after its drained) with parmesan.

15 Comments:

Blogger santos. said...

this post made me wonder if i really do understand you, or if i'd just got used to pretending to understanding you, and that if this is what i would post like by the time i got to double digit drink figures.

but yes! totes agree with the broad beans=broad hands ref. good job.

10/11/2007 10:23:00 pm

 
Blogger Avatar said...

That sounds lovely, and do-able! I might just try it.

How's the impending one?

10/12/2007 03:49:00 am

 
Blogger Anthony said...

Ha! If I have to hang on to the desk while I'm typing, then it's a good one.
You know what they say - broad hands, broad beans.

Do it avatar!
Moving apparently.

10/12/2007 11:05:00 am

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The only reason I have broad beans is because I grow broad beans: they're a good cover crop for winter. So recipes like this are welcome. Otherwise just pick them young and raw, pod them and douse in olive oil and pecorino and scoff them in the back garden.

10/13/2007 06:55:00 pm

 
Blogger Nakku said...

Broad beans very much the thing back in Blighty with the Nigel Slater crowd.
Hey, I'm back in Melbourne and thinking of getting a bunch of Global knives (from the ad to the right, natch). Any experience with them?

10/14/2007 06:43:00 am

 
Blogger Nakku said...

Oh, and congratulations are in order, I infer.

10/14/2007 06:44:00 am

 
Blogger Anthony said...

I'll have to try growing them for winter anthony, my brussel sprouts have done nothing but provide food and lodging for caterpillars.

I don't think I actually knew what they were until I was in my twenties.
Global knives work well but you'll get mixed opinions. I think you're either a global person or you're ont and that comes down to grip feel.

Many thanks!

10/14/2007 09:53:00 pm

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Man I love broad beans. Had a stupendous crop last year right into summer, and *almost* got sick of them. The patties look superb.

Re: pasta - when you're feeling like a slow and fiddly job instead, fill your own ravioli with broad bean paste and whatever else you like - pecorino, fetta, smoked chicken - then do a simple cream and pancetta sauce. Or any sauce really.

Global knives. Meh. I guess I'm one of the ones who doesn't like the feel. Not one little bit. Gimme a Wusthof any day, balanced and true, weighty and classy and worth every cent.

Plus they light up when there's orcs around.

10/18/2007 08:37:00 am

 
Blogger Anthony said...

Yum on the pasta idea, looks well worth the fiddliness, though I'll probably make a few large ones rather than lots of little ones.

Yeah they are a bit on the light side and I've had my Wusthof chef's knife for about 12 years now (same day as the sarin attacks in Tokyo - not related). I'm a bit of a knife tart - a victorinox paring knife, shun cleaver, giesser boning knife and one of those kyocera ceramic vege knives. None of which light up with orcs around but they do keep tigers away.

10/18/2007 02:05:00 pm

 
Blogger Anthony said...

Oh and did somebody say Wusthof knives? [plug]

10/18/2007 02:09:00 pm

 
Blogger Jeanne said...

I want to go to the kind of art exhibitions YOU go to. Nobody at the Tate Modern has even offered me a box of legumes.

10/23/2007 09:40:00 pm

 
Blogger Anthony said...

Not only were there legumes, there was no Tracy Emin

10/23/2007 09:54:00 pm

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I do not understand broad beans, but then I struggle with text messages too.

11/01/2007 05:08:00 pm

 
Blogger Anthony said...

It is not whether you understand them, but rather if they understand you. (that doesn't make any sense)

11/04/2007 10:25:00 pm

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

12/15/2007 06:45:00 am

 

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