Portuguese-Style Broad Beans

Broad beans announce Spring, but here the season for fresh broad beans is short. History tells us that since ancient times, the broad bean has been one of the most consumed legumes by humans. The habit of consuming them dry after soaking and cooking them in soups has fallen into disuse. Today, as they are in fashion, we have them available all year round, of good quality, preserved by freezing. In Portugal, we cook and eat them in many ways, sometimes very different ones, but the use of olive oil as the cooking fat is common to all. Cilantro, which is the herb that flavors them best, begins to be used in the North. A little sugar is a real asset in this recipe. In Alentejo and the Algarve, mature, flowering cilantro (coentros espigados) is used, a particularity with which nature collaborates. Generally, the broad beans are cooked with cured meats, making them the main dish of the meal. In certain regions, namely in Alentejo and Ribatejo, Favas de Azeize (Olive Oil Broad Beans) are highly appreciated, with the meats being replaced by slices of corn bread above the Tagus River, and wheat bread in Alentejo. In all broad bean recipes, preference should be given to intensely fruity extra virgin olive oils, such as the olive oils from Moura and also some from Trás-os-Montes, like those from Moncorvo.