Favas – or broad beans – will be in season soon, with the first ones on offer at the markets in March. They are a typically Mediterranean product, and before the arrival of beans from the American continent, favas were the only legume known in Europe and an important part of the rural population’s nourishment.
Favas have a long and rich history, apart from symbolising fertility and prosperity, favas were also used by the ancient Greeks and Romans as a voting ballot. A white bean was used to cast a ‘yes’ vote, while a black bean was used as a ‘no’.
In Portugal, the traditional Bolo Rei, a seasonal Christmas and New Year’s Eve cake, contains a dried fava hidden in the cake. The person that finds the fava in his or her slice of Bolo Rei must buy next year’s cake.
This legume is a good source of protein and favas contain relevant percentages of vitamin C and iron while they also supply lots of energy on a relatively modest calorie count.
Favas are a delicate subject among the Portuguese: we either love them or hate them. It is also a fact that most people grow up to enjoy favas… I know I hated them when I was a child and now I love them with a passion.
The most popular way to prepare favas is a stew that combines the beans with various meats. This recipe is highly adaptable, as you can add the type of smoked sausages and meats that you like the best. My recipe uses “chouriço de carne”, a red, meat-based type of smoked sausage; “chouriço mouro”, a black sausage with a hint of cumin; bacon and “presunto”, the smoked ham that is so typical of Portugal and Spain.
Try combining your favas with “entrecosto”, spare ribs chopped into small pieces,
or “farinheira”, a smoked sausage that is based on flour
and red pepper, for a different approach.
When cooking favas, avoid stirring them with a spoon to prevent them from falling apart. Shaking the pan is the best way to handle your favas preparation.
If you feel like having favas out of season, don’t hesitate to use frozen produce for this recipe.

Ingredients
4 kg favas, unpeeled (or 1 kg
of peeled fresh or frozen favas)
2 tablespoons olive oil
100g bacon
1 small chouriço de carne
1 chouriço mouro
100g presunto
(smoked ham)
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 Bay leaf
Coriander, parsley
Sugar, salt and pepper

Method
In a large pan, fry the olive oil, the chopped onions and garlic, the bacon and the ham cut into strips, the sausages and theBay Leaf until slightly browned.
Remove the meats and add the peeled favas, the coriander and the parsley. Season with a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper and place the meats on top.
Cover the pan and allow to cook slowly, shaking the pan every once in a while. If necessary, add some hot water.
Depending on the quality of the favas, the cooking process should take roughly half an hour.
Once the favas are done, remove the sausages and cut them into slices before adding them back to the pan. Correct the seasonings if needed.
Your favas are best served with a green salad, seasoned with a vinaigrette and some chopped coriander. Enjoy!

Sofia de Landerset