Rustic Broad Bean Puree

(Serves 10-12 as a snack)

Ingredients

• 450 grams broad beans, peeled
• 1 fennel bulb, washed and sliced, tops reserved
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot or ¼ onion, finely sliced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
• sea salt

Method

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and add the onion. Cook over a low heat until it starts to soften.  Add the fennel and continue cooking until both are very tender – this will take 10 or 15 minutes. Add the garlic and a few of the fennel tops, chopped.

Add the broad beans and ¼ cup of water.

Cook over a low heat until the beans are soft. Season and remove from the heat. Blend briefly to a coarse purée. 

Serve piled onto grilled bread that has been rubbed with a cut clove of garlic and drizzled with good olive oil.