Cooking inWhether sauteed or stewed, there are lots of ways to give broad beans a starring role, writes Hugo Arnold
My Turkish friend Annisa can't get over the size of broad beans here. At home, she says, they use tiny ones, as they like to stew the pods whole. So we fish about for a handful of smaller specimens, to make taze bakla basti, which involves stewing them with olive oil, a little water, salt, pepper and a tablespoon of chopped spring onion for 15-20 minutes, then stirring in chopped dill or mint.
It can be hard to know until you get home how many beans your pods contain. I generally buy two kilos to feed four; it may sound generous, but I am never left with any.
You can also buy them dried, for the winter months. Try using them in felafel. You should find dried broad beans in Middle Eastern and Asian stores - which also sell a roasted, salted version to eat with drinks.