Maccu di Fave: Sicily's Ancient Fava Bean Purée with Wild Fennel

Rinse the split fava beans under cold water. No soaking is required — split dried favas cook without it — though a 1-hour soak will cut cooking time by around 20 minutes if you prefer.

Warm 40 ml of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and dried chili if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden.

Add the rinsed fava beans and stir for 1 minute to coat with the oil and aromatics.

Pour in 1.5 litres of water or light vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, skimming any grey foam that rises to the surface.

Reduce heat to low. Add half the fennel fronds (about 15 g) and season with 1 tsp sea salt. Simmer uncovered for 60 minutes, stirring every 10–15 minutes.

As the beans collapse and the purée thickens, increase stirring frequency to every 3–5 minutes to prevent catching on the pot bottom. If the mixture becomes too thick before the beans have dissolved, add hot water in 100 ml increments and stir.

Continue cooking for a further 20–30 minutes — 80–90 minutes total from the start of simmering — until the beans have dissolved completely into a smooth, thick purée with no whole pieces remaining. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper.

Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining 40 ml olive oil vigorously; it will emulsify into the hot purée and give it a glossy, rich finish.

Serve immediately in bowls, topped with the remaining fresh fennel fronds and an extra drizzle of olive oil. The purée thickens considerably as it cools — add a splash of hot water and stir when reheating.