Fava Bean Stew

Carolyn Nadeau's translation of Francisco Martinez Montino's The Art of Cooking, Pie Making Pastry Making, and Preserving:

Page 353 & 355

Fava bean stew

On a fish day, look for fava beans that are very tender and shuck them. Put some good quality oil in a terracotta casserole or in a pot and place it over red-hot embers. When it is heated, put in the beans, raw just as they are. Have some lettuce washed with the leaves separated. Tear them with your hands and make them as small as you can without using a knife. Squeeze out the water, add to the beans, and sauté the beans and lettuce in oil. They will exude their own water, perhaps enough for the broth. Add all spices (spice mix: 4 pepper, 4 ginger, 1 clove, 2 nutmeg, saffron) and green herbs (herb mix: parsley, spearmint, cilantro), more cilantro than others and season with salt. Add a little hot water and a little vinegar and cook until everything is soft. Add in raw eggs that will poach with the beans themselves. Serve the bean and the eggs together in the same casserole. It is common to add dill to these beans but some lords do not like it.

Shuck fresh fava beans.

Tear lettuce by hand into small pieces then squeeze out water.

Heat good oil in a wide pan.

Add the beans

Then add lettuce

Add spices and herbs (spice mix: 4 pepper, 4 ginger, 1 clove, 2 nutmeg, saffron) (herb mix: parsley, spearmint, cilantro), more cilantro

Season with salt.

Add a little hot water and a little vinegar and cook until everything is soft.

Add in raw eggs that will poach with the beans themselves

Sprinkle with dill.

I made this with favas that I grew in my yard.

I used 2 tsp of the spice mix.

I used a bit too much vinegar. It is a warm day so it wasn't too bad, but I will be a bit more cautious next time.