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Mrs Bailey’s Cream-Fried Broad Beans
(and yes, you may call them “favas” if you wish)
For more on this curious method of cooking, see Mrs B’s Cream-Fried Eggs:
For this dish, acquire more fresh broad/fava bean pods than you can imagine you might need, because you will.
Step one is to depod all the beans (Mrs B has trained all her kitchenmaids in her own technique for splitting open and debeaning the pods in one swift movement; sadly, she hasn’t trained me). Put them in a saucepan, cover with water, add a little salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then drain and let cool somewhat.
Step two is easier if they’re still somewhat warm. Tear a little opening in one side of the greyish leathery skin of one bean, and slip out the emerald-green inner bean. (If it is yellowish and inclined to crumble between the fingers rather than squish, discard it, for it is ancient and unappealing.) Repeat with all the other beans. It takes awhile, but it’s kind of hypnotic/meditative, maybe. Or you could play loud music to see you through. Whichever.
When you’re ready to cook, pour a few tablespoons of double/heavy cream into your broadest nonstick pan (they’re called “broad” beans for a reason), while the pan’s still cold, and roll that around until the base is covered in a thin shmear of cream. (Or not quite that thin: you will want more than you do for the eggs, I promise.) Spread the peeled beans across the surface, in one layer if possible but don’t worry too much about that. Salt lightly, pepper heavily, and set over a middling low heat.
Soon enough you will see bubbling, and then boiling, and then boiling off. This is what you want; the cream will break down and caramelise, and make your beans taste gorgeous. Toss them about a bit, so that every bean is sure of its own little coating. If the pan goes entirely dry before you’re ready to serve, don’t worry: just add a bit more cream. (You can actually do that more or less endlessly, but the beans don’t need it; remember…