Bajilla

1Preparation

1. Rinse the fava beans and soak them in plenty of water for at least 12 hours, until they swell to about double their size.
2. Drain the beans from the soaking water and rinse them well.

2Cooking

1. Bring the beans and boiling water to the boil in a large pot, then skim off the foam.

   🔥 high heat⏱ 10 min timer
2. Lower the heat, cover and simmer gently until a bean squashes easily between your fingers and the skin is soft.

   🔥 low heat⏱ 90 min timer
3. Add the salt, stir and simmer 10 more minutes.

   🔥 low heat⏱ 10 min timer

3Serving

1. Ladle the hot bajilla with a little of its broth into small bowls.
2. Sprinkle with cumin, black pepper and lemon juice and serve right away.

💡 Tips & common mistakes

• Common mistake: cutting the soaking short — the beans stay hard however long you boil them. Soak at least 12 hours; some prefer 24 hours with a change of water.
• Bean size varies, so test a large bean before turning off the heat.
• To peel, squeeze the end of a bean between your teeth or fingers and it slips out of its skin.

🔁 Substitutions

• You can use drained canned large fava beans, heated in salted water for just 10 minutes.