Broad Beans with Anchovies

Regionality and seasonality dominate Italian cuisine and pairing these dishes with local wines can produce a heavenly match. From north to south, the variety of regional recipes and wines provides ever-changing taste sensations.

A Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi from Brunori Winery, Le Marche, is just a perfect match for this Marchigiani fava bean recipe, bringing a delicious lemony flavour to the dish. It is a simple recipe which makes a lovely light lunch or as part of antipasti:

600 grams fresh broad beans or 200 grams dried beans

2 fat cloves garlic

5 tbs olive oil

Anchovy fillets - we love these so we tend to be generous with their use

2 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley

A generous splash of red wine or sherry vinegar

Pinch of salt

Freshly ground black pepper

If you’re using fresh beans, shell them, cover with water and bring slowly to the boil. If you’re using dried beans soak and cook as per the instructions on the packet. Once cooked, remove from the heat and drain. We always double pod the broad beans, removing the tough outer skins. It’s time-consuming but absolutely worth the effort.

Cut the garlic cloves in half and gently heat in the olive oil. Once the oil is fragrant, remove the garlic and add most of the anchovy fillets, retaining a few for garnishing. Melt the anchovy fillets in the olive oil. Add half the chopped parsley, the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Heat very gently for a few minutes. Decant the drained beans onto a serving platter and pour the anchovy sauce over the beans. Leave to stand for about an hour. Sprinkle the remaining parsley over the beans, decorate with a few anchovy fillets and serve lukewarm with the chilled Verdicchio.