Ingredients

• 3 cups dried fava beans
• 9 cups water
• 3 whole shallots
• 1 clove  garlic
• 1 bay leaf – we used balsamic bay leaves from Daphnis + Chloe
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• juice of one lemon to taste

Here’s how you make it

1. Thoroughly wash the fava beans in a colander and allow them to drain.
2. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and slowly add the fava beans with the bay leaf. Add 3 tbsp of olive oil to the pan.
3. Bring back to the boil and allow to simmer on a reduced heat.
4. After 15 minutes place the lid over it and allow to simmer for 45 minutes until the mixture is thick and the beans are nice and soft. You may need to add more water throughout the process to keep the beans from drying out.
5. At the same time that the beans are simmering, chop the shallots and garlic.
6. Add the garlic to a frying pan of hot olive oil and allow to fry slowly for 3 minutes. Add the shallots and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes so they caramelise. Add salt and pepper. Once cooked, remove from the heat and place to the side.
7. When the beans have softened, remove from the heat and add the remaining olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Remove the bay leaf and leave to sit covered for 10–15 minutes. Blend or mash – according to preference until the mixture has a lovely, creamy texture.
9. Serve in a dish and add the onions on top. Enjoy as a side dish or a dip!