The simplest dishes are the best and today’s recipe is the proof of this: two poor ingredients, dried peeled broad beans and wild chicory, herbs with a bitter taste, which give life to a dish of Apulian cuisine.
The broad beans must be soaked in cold water for 12 hours and then cooked for a long time, covered with water until they are cleaved until they become a puree. In the meantime, the cleaned chicories should be blanched in water and served with broad beans, seasoned with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, strictly, “Uellì”.
In Puglia it will be easy to meet in the countryside people who collect wild chicory but if you just can’t find it, you can always use the cultivated chicory.
To make the cream of broad beans creamier, you can add a sliced potato.
Broad beans and leaves are a traditional dish handed down from generation to generation, to keep the flavours of the past alive.
Ingredients:
Husked dried broad beans 400 g
Wild chicory 450 g
Laurel 3 leaves
Extra virgin olive oil Uellì to taste
Salt to taste
Water to taste
Soak the broad beans in cold water for about 12 hours. The next day, drain the beans, rinse them under running water and put them to cook in a large pot, covering them flush with water and adding 2-3 bay leaves.
Leave to cook over low heat for at least 2 hours, adding water if necessary. Foam as you go.
Wash the chicories under water and let them drain, peel them, removing the white part at the bottom that holds the leaves together. Remove the most damaged leaves. Boil the chicories in boiling salted water for a few minutes. As soon as they are tender, drain them and set aside.
Meanwhile, the broad beans will be cooked, season with salt and compose the dish: two tablespoons of mashed broad beans and two forks of chicory.
Season with a drizzle of “Uellì” extra virgin olive oil and serve with slices of apulian bread.
If you want to store broad beans and chicories, you can store them in separate containers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Enjoy your meal!
