Santorini Fava
Φάβα Σαντορίνης·(FAH-vah san-to-REE-nees)
Nistisima (The Fasting Table)
It has nothing to do with broad beans. A standard bag of yellow split peas from your local supermarket works beautifully, boiled until they collapse against the back of a wooden spoon into a thick purée finished with a heavy squeeze of fresh lemon. The method requires exactly two rules. First: skim the foam fiercely. Second: once it’s simmering, never stir it. Flood the warm plate with a heavy glug of olive oil, scatter raw red onion across the surface, and tear off a piece of bread.
Before you start
Rinse the peas until the water runs crystal clear.
Place the yellow split peas in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse them under cold water, swishing with your hands. Don't skip this; washing away the dusty surface starch is the first step to achieving a truly velvety texture.
Ingredients
- yellow split peas1 lb
- water6 cup
- yellow onion1 med
- carrot1 small
- bay leaf1
- extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup
- fresh lemon juice3 tbsp
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- red onion1/2 small
- capers3 tbsp
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
Method
- 01
Boil the peas and skim the foam aggressively.
Place the rinsed peas and the water into a wide, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over high heat. As the water comes to a boil, a thick white foam will rise to the surface. Stand by the stove with a slotted spoon and constantly skim this foam off and discard it for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the water is mostly clear and the foaming stops.
- 02
Add the aromatics and lower the heat to a bare simmer.
Once the foam is gone, drop in the quartered yellow onion, the carrot slices, and the bay leaf. Turn the heat down to the absolute lowest setting and partially cover the pot with a lid.
- 03
Simmer untouched for 45 to 55 minutes.
Do not stir the pot, as stirring now will cause the peas to stick to the bottom and burn. Let it simmer undisturbed until the peas have absorbed almost all the liquid and are completely falling apart. If it looks completely dry before the peas are mushy, gently pour in a half cup of hot water.
- 04
Emulsify into a velvety purée.
Remove the pot from the heat and fish out the bay leaf, leaving the boiled onion and carrot in the pot. Using an immersion blender, purée the mixture until it is completely smooth and creamy. While blending, pour in the 1/4 cup of olive oil, the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- 05
Garnish generously and serve.
The mixture should look slightly looser than hummus, as it will thicken considerably as it cools. Transfer the warm fava to a wide, shallow serving bowl, use the back of a spoon to create swoops and craters, and top generously with the remaining olive oil, diced red onion, and rinsed capers.
Notes
The scorched pot rescue.
If you accidentally stirred and the bottom caught and burned, do not scrape the bottom. Immediately pour the unburnt top portion into a clean pot and continue cooking.
Make-ahead magic.
Fava sets up almost like a loose polenta in the fridge and will keep for up to 4 days. To reheat on a weeknight, place it in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of warm water and whisk vigorously until it returns to its original creamy glory.
From Cook Greek in America.