2885. GRILLED OCTOPUS SALAD with BACON and LEMON-PISTACHIO VINAIGRETTE

Salad:
1/2 lb octopus
2 slices thin cut bacon
2 radishes, sliced thin
handful of yellow wax beans
1/4 cup fava beans
1/4 cup red cabbage
little less than a 1/4 cup pistachios 

Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pistachios

Vinaigrette: In a blender mix lemon juice, shallot, tarragon, red wine vinegar, sugar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth. With blender running, add olive oil in a steady stream until well incorporated. Turn off blender, add pistachios and pulse until finely chopped.

Salad: In a saucepan add octopus and enough water to cover octopus but about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer about an hour. Remove from boiling water and once cool enough to handle cut into large bite size pieces.

Cook bacon in a fry pan until lightly crisp. Boil wax beans in water about 5-7 minutes until just starting to become tender.

Heat grill. In a bowl toss all salad ingredients in dressing to lightly coat. Transfer to a mesh fry pan (one made for grilling). Cook on grill until salad ingredients are lightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill and toss with a bit more dressing to lightly coat salad and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Pretty in Pork, July 6, 2011

2826. SPRING ONIONS, FAVA BEANS and BACON

makes four servings 


1 lb broad beans, fresh and peeled 
2 oz smoked bacon 
6 spring onions 
2 cloves of garlic 
1 egg 
1 lemon 
parsley
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Sauté the unpeeled garlic cloves in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil. Add the bacon and let brown. Then add the fava beans, spring onions, peeled and sliced, a little grated lemon peel, salt and pepper. Cover and stew for about 25 minutes. Then remove the garlic, break an egg into the pan and remove from the heat. Mix well and finish with a bunch of minced parsley.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Academia Barilla, USA, 1200 Lakeside Drive, Bannockburn, IL 60015; Largo Piero Calamandrei, 3/A, (c/o Barilla Center), 43121 Parma, Italy

2748. SPRING LEEKS, FAVA BEANS and BACON

serves two 


3 or 4 young, slim leeks  
6 slices unsmoked bacon

1 thick slice butter
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
2 lb. fava beans in their pods
2 loosely packed tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

 

Bring a deep pan of water to a boil. Wash and thickly slice the leeks. Remove the rind from the bacon slices and cut each slice into finger-thick strips. Warm the butter in a shallow pan and add the strips of bacon. Let the bacon color lightly in the hot butter until its fat is starting to turn pale gold, then add the sliced leeks and the garlic clove. Partially cover with a lid and let the leeks soften but not color.

 

While the bacon and leeks are cooking, shell the beans and add them to the boiling water. Salt the water and let the beans cook for four or five minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water until cool enough to skin. Leave the tiniest of beans unskinned, but it is probably better to skin anything larger than a thumbnail-just squeeze each bean between thumb and finger and pop it out of its skin.

When the leeks and bacon are soft and fragrant, stir in the tarragon, parsley, and the drained and skinned beans, then season. Stir gently, allow to heat through for a minute or two, then serve on warm plates.


bacon recipe courtesy of:  Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater, Ten Speed Press, 2010, p. 296

1696. RICOTTA PASTA with FAVA BEANS and BACON

serves two


1 pound ballerine or campanelle pasta
1/2 pound fresh fava beans, shelled
4 strips of thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, then the beans, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender and bright green. Drain and set aside. Fill up the pot with water again, salt and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta until done.

While the pasta is cooking, peel the beans. Peel off white skin by pinching through the skin opposite the growing tip. Press one end of the bean between two fingers to push out the small green bean inside.

Cook the bacon in a heavy saucepan until pink and cooked through. Drain the grease and return to the heat. Add the beans and saute until desired tenderness. Take off the heat and stir in the ricotta, cream, and cheese, mixing until warm. Toss with the pasta and nutmeg. Taste and and add salt and pepper to taste.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Faith Durand, The Kitchn, Apartment Therapy

1532. FAVA BEAN PUDDING with SHIITAKES, BACON and WILTED ARUGULA

yields four servings


The pudding:
5 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled
2 eggs
1/4 cup yogurt cheese (see note)
2 scallions, green part only, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
olive oil spray

The garnish:
3 slices bacon, diced
3 cups stemmed and sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 cups arugula leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

To make the pudding, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the beans and blanch until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Slip their skins off. Set aside 1/2 cup of beans and put the rest into a blender. Add the eggs, yogurt cheese, scallions, salt and pepper and blend until smooth.

Spray 4 6-ounce ramekins with the olive oil and divide the bean mixture among them. Place them in a steamer basket over barely simmering water. Cover and steam until puddings are set, about 25 minutes.

To make the garnish, cook the bacon in a medium-size nonstick skillet until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Pour off the fat. Add the shiitakes to the skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until almost wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon, salt and pepper.

To serve, run the tip of a small knife around the inside edge of the ramekins to loosen the puddings. Invert each onto the center of a plate and surround with the shiitake mixture. Sprinkle with the reserved fava beans and serve immediately.

NOTE: To make yogurt cheese, drain plain nonfat yogurt in a paper-towel-lined sieve for several hours.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Molly O'Neill, "The Shell Game," The New York Times, August 13, 1995

1319. FAVAS with BLOOD SAUSAGE and BACON

serves four


1 cup olive oil
8 oz. thick-cut bacon, 1 slice left whole and remaining slices diced
3 scallions, trimmed and minced
2 morcilla sausages, 1 cut into 1⁄2"-thick slices and 1 left whole
1 1⁄4 lbs. shelled fresh young favas (about 4 cups) from about 5 1⁄2 lbs. unshelled favas
1 teaspoon Pernod
1 bay leaf
leaves of 1 sprig fresh mint, minced
pinch sugar
salt

Put oil, diced bacon, and scallions into a heavy medium pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon is lightly browned, 6–8 minutes. Add sliced sausages and favas, stir well, and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add slice of bacon, whole sausage, Pernod, bay leaf, mint, sugar, and salt to taste.

Add enough cold water (about 1 cup) to pot to just cover beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until favas are tender and have absorbed water, 15–20 minutes. Discard bay leaf and cut slice of bacon and whole sausage into 4 pieces each before serving.


courtesy of: Catalan Cuisine by Colman Andrews, Harvard Common Press, 1999

1286. SPRINGTIME RAGOUT of BACON, FAVA, PEAS and GREEN GARLIC

serves 4-6


3 cups of fava beans
1 cup of peas
1 stab of thick cut bacon, cut into strips
3 sprigs of rosemary
4 sprigs of fresh mint
1 laurel leaf
3 sprigs of thyme
1 tomato, diced
1 onion, diced
3 young potatoes, chopped into cubes
3 green garlic, diced into large chunks
½ cup of white wine
olive oil
salt and pepper

In 2 tablespoon of oil, sauté bacon strips until crispy. Remove bacon. In the bacon oil, sauté potato cubes until golden brown and set aside. In same oil, sauté onions and green garlic until soft and add diced tomatoes. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Add fava, potatoes, bacon, herbs and white wine. Bring to a boil then lower heat to allow for a slow simmer. Cook covered for about 10 minutes, adding water when necessary. Don’t stir too much to avoid breaking the beans.

Add peas and continue cooking for another 7-10 minutes or until peas are soft but not mushy. Salt and pepper to taste.


courtesy of: Chow, 235 2nd Street, First Floor, San Francisco, California 94105

1172. STROZZAPRETI with SEARED DUCK, SPRING ONIONS, BACON and FRESH FAVAS

makes 2 servings


Kosher salt
6 ounces strozzapreti or other medium-sized rolled pasta
3 thick-cut bacon slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 spring onion or sweet onion, trimmed and and cut into thin slices
Duck breast
Black pepper in a mill
1 cup fresh favas, blanched and peeled
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley or fresh basil

Fill a medium saucepan two-thirds full with water, add a tablespoon of kosher salt and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, add the pasta and stir until the water returns to a boil. Cook according to pasta directions until the pasta is al dente, about 20 to 24 minutes for most brands. Drain the pasta but do not rinse it.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium saute pan until it is crisp. Transfer the bacon to absorbent paper and pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat.

Return the pan to the heat, add the olive oil and saute the onion until it is limp and fragrant, about 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and remove from the heat.

Score the duck skin, making slashes about every inch, cutting almost but not entirely through the skin. Season it all over with salt and pepper. Heat a scored cast iron pan over high heat and when it is very hot, add the duck, skin side down. Cook until the skin is crisp and has given up much of its fat. Turn and cook the duck skin-side up until it is just rare, 2 to 3 minutes. It will still be soft when pressed with your finger.

Set the cooked duck on a work surface and let rest 3 or 4 minutes.

Put the pasta into a warm serving bowl and toss with the onions and all the pan juices. Add the favas and toss again.

Cut the duck into thin slices and add to the pasta. Quickly crumble the bacon, scatter on top, add the parsley and basil and toss very gently. Serve immediately.

Variations: You can omit the bacon and saute the onions in olive oil. Add 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese to the pasta with the cooked onions.

Instead of using duck, you can use beef; I particularly like this dish with hanger steak. If you don't have fresh favas use fresh peas, blanched until just barely tender.


courtesy of: Michele Anna Jordan, the Press Democrat, 427 Mendocino Avenue, PO Box 569, Santa Rosa, California 95402, June 20, 2007

1052. FAVA BEAN SOUP with BACON

serves 4


1 pound fava beans or broad beans, freshly hulled
4 ounces lean bacon, chopped
1 sprig savory
8 cups water
4 tablespoons butter

Place the fava beans, bacon, savory, and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to low, and cook for about 1 hour, or until the beans are al dente. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Divide the soup between 4 soup bowls and garnish each with 1 tablespoon butter and 1/4 cup croutons. Serve immediately.


courtesy of: The Oldways Table by K. Dun Gifford and Sara Baer-Sinnott. Ten Speed Press, 2007

950. BACON and FAVA BEAN SALAD

yields 4 servings


1 tablespoon sunflower oil
7 ounces bacon, chopped into large pieces
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
2 red onion, cut into wedges
2 slices bread
2 cups frozen fava beans, thawed
2 heads radicchio, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 pinch sugar
4 tablespoons milk
Salt and fresh-ground pepper

Heat the broiler, if not using a toaster for the bread. Make the dressing by mixing together the mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and sugar. Add enough milk to make a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon, red bell pepper, and onions and saute over high heat, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the bread in a toaster or under the broiler. Cut it into cubes; set aside.

Stir the fava beans into the bacon mixture and add 1 tablespoon water. Heat until sizzling, then cover the pan and leave to cook 4 minutes.

Arrange the radicchio wedges on top of the bean-and-bacon mixture. Cover again and cook until the radicchio wilts, but still holds its shape, about 3 minutes.

Spoon the salad into shallow bowls and drizzle the dressing on top. Scatter the toasted bread cubes over the top and sprinkle with chopped flat-leaf parsley.


courtesy of: Reader's Digest

676. LAMB TENDERLOIN with FAVA BEANS, DATES, and SMOKED BACON

yields 6 servings


12 slices bacon
24 dates, pitted
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
2 cups blanched and peeled fava beans
1 Tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste
12 lamb tenderloins
1 ounce olive oil

Preheat oven to 350?F. Cut each slice of bacon in half crosswise to yield 24 pieces. Stuff dates with parmesan cheese and then wrap the stuffed dates with bacon. Arrange wrapped dates on a sheet pan and roast in oven for 10 minutes.

In a sauté pan, gently heat the fava beans with butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat a separate sauté pan with olive oil. Sear lamb on all sides and cook to desired temperature. Slice the lamb and serve over fava beans and dates.


courtesy of: Chef Geoff Gardner, Sel de la Terre, 255 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, (617) 720-1300

440. CREAMED FAVA BEANS and BACON

Makes four servings


5 pounds young fava beans, in pods
1/4 pound lean bacon strips
1 tablespoon butter
1 branch fresh savory (or pinch finely crumbled dried savory)
About 3 tablespoons water
Salt
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 egg yolks
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice
Chopped parsley

Shell beans and remove skins from all except those pods that are tiny and bright green. Cut bacon in 1/2-inch sections, parboil for a few seconds to remove excess salt and drain.

Cook bacon in butter in heavy saucepan over low heat two to three minutes. Bacon should remain limp.

Add fava beans, savory, just enough water to moisten lightly and salt to taste. Cover tightly and cook over high heat few seconds. Turn heat to low again so beans stew in own steam rather than boiling. Cook, shaking pan gently from time to time, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 1 minute or so.

Mix cream, egg yolks and pepper to taste and stir gently into fava beans. Return to low heat, stirring until sauce is only lightly bound, coating spoon thinly. Sauce should not approach boil. Squeeze in few drops lemon juice to taste, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.


courtesy of: Simple French Food by Richard Olney. Atheneum Press, 1974

56. CHICKEN SALAD with PICKLED WALNUTS and BACON

serves four

1 poached chicken (allowed to cool in liquid) or roasted chicken, if you prefer
6 or more pickled walnuts (sliced thin across grain)
2 cups of cooked double peeled fava beans
2 handfuls of arugula
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds
sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup crispy smoked bacon

Dressing:
6 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon walnut, hazelnut, or almond oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fine diced shallot

Combine dressing ingredients first and set aside.

Remove skin from chicken and with your fingers pull the meat into strands following the grain.

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, tossing gently with fingertips, then add the dressing.

Serve on toasted sourdough rubbed with garlic.


courtesy of: The Grateful Palate Gift Handbook 2003, Oxnard, CA: The Grateful Palate, 2003.