Fava bean mash with muhammara
Ingredients
Muhammara
- 3 large red pepperoni quartered, stalks and seeds discarded
- 1 table spoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 table spoon of thyme leaves
- 1 tea spoon smoked sweet paprika
- 1/4 tea spoon chilli flakes
- 2 table spoons balsamic vinegar
- 60 g walnut halves slightly roasted and roughly chopped
- 1/2 tea spoon salt
Fava bean mash
- 1 dl olive oil
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 2 twigs of thyme
- 400 g fava beans drained and rinsed - feel free to use dried ones instead, but remember to soak them in water the night before and cook them for a good 45-60 minutes
- 1/2 tea spoon salt
Instructions
For the muhammara
- Cut the pepperoni and mix them in a large bowl with the olive oil. Spread them out on a parchment paper lined baking tray and roast them for 15 minutes at 220 degrees. Add the garlic and continue to roast the vegetables until the skin of the pepperoni is soft and the garlic is golden brown. Let the vegetables cool slightly before the next step.
- Place the pepperoni and the garlic in a good processor together with the thyme leaves, spices, vinegar, walnuts and the salt. Once you have a rough paste, set this aside.
For the fava bean mash
- Pour the olive oil into a small saucepan and place on medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic clove and the thyme twigs and gently fry for 3-4 minutes until the garlic starts to caramelise.
- Disgard the garlic and set the thyme twigs aside, along with 2 table spoons of the oil. Pour the remaining oil into a food processor with the rinsed fava beans, 1 table spoon of water and 1/2 tea spoon of salt. Once you have a smooth paste (you might need to add a little more water), spread the mash out onto a large platter creating a natural rim around the edge, spoon the muhammara into the center and top with the crispy thyme twigs and the olive oil.