Fava Bean Fennel Salad with Parmesan

1 . Stage

Shell the fava beans outer pod: Fava beans need to be shelled twice, first before cooking to remove the outer pod, then after cooking, to remove the tough membrane around the bean. To remove the outer pod, work over a large bowl and squeeze the bean with your fingers, bending the pod so that when it snaps, the bean inside shoots out into the bowl. Remove all the beans from their pods.

2 . Stage

Boil the beans: Add the beans to 2 quarts of boiling, salted water. Simmer the beans for a few minutes, until just tender.

3 . Stage

Remove outer peel: Use a slotted spoon to remove the beans from the pan and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, and to shock the beans into a bright green color. Let the beans sit in the ice water for a minute or two, then drain them and remove the outer peel.

4 . Stage

Combine salad ingredients: In a bowl combine the freshly peeled and cooked fava beans, the sliced fennel, and onions. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the mixture, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Squeeze some lemon juice over the the salad (about a tablespoon), add the Parmesan and mint, and toss to mix. Garnish with fennel fronds and/or mint sprigs. Fava beans growing in our garden Links: Fava bean dip with goat cheese and garlic and Shaved fennel salad from here on Simply Recipes