Santorini fava with griddled radicchio & Little Gem lettuce wedges
This recipe is a great all-rounder. You can make a batch of it and serve it as a dip, or have it later in the week as a midweek meal. It absorbs a lot of moisture, so add some liquid if you reheat it. Finish the dish with lots of herbs, yogurt and a glug of chilli oil.
SERVES 6
2tbsp olive oil l
3 Little Gem lettuces, halved l
2 radicchio, halved l
½ red onion, thinly sliced, to serve l
2tbsp capers, drained, to serve l
Crusty bread, to serve l
FOR THE SANTORINI FAVA
250g yellow split peas l
3tbsp olive oil l
1 red onion, roughly chopped l
2 garlic cloves, crushed l
5 thyme sprigs, leaves picked l
3 oregano sprigs, leaves picked l
1tsp tomato purée or sundried tomato paste l
2 bay leaves l
600ml warm vegetable stock l
Juice 1 lemon l
½tsp paprika l
Pinch chilli flakes l
1 To make the fava, rinse the split peas in plenty of water. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, add 2tbsp olive oil, the chopped onion, garlic, thyme and oregano; sauté.
2 As soon as the onions start to caramelize, add the tomato purée and cook for 5min, then add the split peas and bay leaves and stir. Pour in the warm stock, turn the heat down to medium and season well with salt and pepper. Simmer with the lid on for 40-50min, until the split peas are thick and mushy. While the split peas are boiling, white foam will probably surface on the water – remove this with a slotted spoon.
3 Meanwhile, for the griddled vegetables, heat a griddle pan and lightly brush with olive oil. Season the lettuce and radicchio with salt and pepper and griddle on each side until slightly charred and soft, but still with bite.
4 Pour the lemon juice into the pan of split peas, add the paprika and chilli flakes and transfer the mixture to a food processor. If you prefer a coarser texture, don’t process. Mix until the peas become smooth and creamy, like a purée.
5 Serve the fava with the remaining 1tbsp olive oil drizzled over and with the griddled vegetables, sliced onions, capers and crusty bread.