Spiced Broad Bean Purée

A recipe from Stephen Markwick

This is one of Stephen Markwick’s recipes that he says is a good way of using up those end of crop broad beans, or the ones you have missed picking and have grown too large. It makes a good accompaniment to meat or fish.

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp whole cardamom pods
  • 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 25g butter
  • 500g shelled broad beans
  • 150g vegetable stock
  • 125ml double cream
  • lemon juice to taste
  • salt and pepper

Method

  1.  Slit the cardamom pods and extract the black seeds. Grind to a fine powder    (I use either a pestle and mortar or an electric coffee grinder) with the coriander and cumin seeds.
  2. Melt the butter and add the chopped onions and garlic and sweat for 5 minutes with the ground spices.
  3. Meanwhile blanche and part cook the broad beans in boiling water, the length of time depends on how old the beans are. You just need to soften them,
  4.  Add the beans, together with the onions and spices, to the vegetable stock and cook for a few minutes, Then add the cream, lemon juice and seasonings, and cook for about 5 minutes to thicken.
  5. Blend in a food processor and pass through a sieve or “mouli de legumes” to remove the coarse skins. This should now be a smooth purée; if too thin it can be reduced a little more on a low heat, stirring to avoid burning.
  6. Check the seasonings and serve.