When planting fava beans for ground cover and to add nutrients to poor soil, one tends to forget that, with very little work, you may end up with a whole bunch of fava beans. One of the beauties of favas is that, not only are the beans delicious, but the leaves and flowers are edible as well. This dish is the answer to the question “What is a quick and easy way to cook fresh favas and their leaves?” If you use very young, tender fava beans, there is no need to remove the outer skin, thus saving a lot of time and effort.
Chipolatas are sausages typical of the SW of France and are always made with pure pork and very lightly seasoned. These are from Ferme Elizaldia in the French Pays Basque and are some of the best I have tried (the excellent chipolatas from Maison Louis Ospital not withstanding). Substitute any mild flavored pork sausage.
In a large skillet, sauté sausages over low heat with a little butter until browned on both sides and almost cooked through. Add shelled young fava beans and green garlic that has been peeled and sliced. Sauté quickly until the garlic is tender. Add a good splash of white wine (use dry white wine or experiment a sweet vermouth or sherry) and the fava leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce to almost dry. Season with salt and black pepper, add a big knob of cold butter and stir continuously until the butter is melted. That’s all there is to it! I served this with French green lentils, simply boiled then tossed with butter, salt, pepper and a handful of chopped parsley.
