Fava Beans à la Turque (Zeytinyağlı İç Bakla)

Fava beans, also known as faba, broad, Windsor, or horse beans, are among the oldest cultivated plants. They've been grown and eaten across the Middle East, Europe, and South America for millennia, yet they took their sweet time reaching American markets. I didn't eat a single fava bean for the first 25 years of my life, which, in resrospect, was a real loss! In my defense, my mom cooked them in pod, in those slightly fuzzy pods that, to a child, looked alarmingly like caterpillars. I'm still not convinced about the pods. The shelled beans, however, are a different story. 

Fava beans are slightly sweet with a mild, grassy flavor that feels made for spring. In Turkey, when picked young and tender, they're cooked in the pod and served with a generous dollop of garlicy yogurt on the side. When picked a bit later, once the shells and beans have grown larger, they are shucked and the beans are peeled to remove the waxy outer coat. Shucking goes quickly; peeling takes a little patience, but it's entirely worth it. What follows is a traditional Turkish springtime olive oil dish recipe for fava beans.

serves four

• 1 pound fresh fava beans, shelled and peeled, or 1 pound frozen fava beans (widely available at Middle Eastern markets)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced 
• 1/2 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch dill, chopped, plus more for serving
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1 tsp salt, or a little more to taste
• 1/3 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp flour
• juice of half lemon

-In a bowl, whisk together the water, flour, and lemon juice. As you peel the beans, drop them directly into this mixture to prevent browning. (If you blanch the beans in boiling water for 30 seconds first, the skins slip off much more easily.)
-Heat half of the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, without letting it color--browning is one unforgivable offense in olive oil dishes.
-Add the sugar, green onions, and garlic, and cook for about one minute until garlic is fragrant.
-Add fava beans along with their soaking liquid.
-Season with salt and add more water if needed to just cover the beans.
-Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the beans are tender.
-Remove from heat, cover, and let the dish cool in the pot before transferring to a serving plate.
-Like all Turkish olive oil dishes, this is best served at room temperature or cold.
-Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and finish with fresh chopped dill.

Serve with crusty bread and garlicy yogurt son the side.

Garlicy Yogurt
For every cup of yogurt, use half a clove of minced garlic as a starting point. adjusting upward if you like it stronger--though one clove per cup is a reasonable ceiling, as the people around you will have opinions about this. Mix well, season with salt, and serve alongside or spooned over the fava beans.