Quality broad beans aren’t easy to find – but serious eaters know the reward that awaits.
By John McGrath

BROAD beans have a short and puzzling season. Lucky shoppers can fluke tiny tender beans cradled in deep green velvety pods at the beginning of the broad bean’s spluttery season. However, some of the first pods I spotted in early September were already elderly; pallid and gnarly with large floury beans inside. Where do they come from? Is it twilight time for broadies somewhere in Australia?

Last week in the Central Market only one stall stocked (perfect) broad beans – the week before a half a dozen stalls displayed beans of variable quality. Dunno why. Perhaps growers don’t take them seriously. Some greengrocers ignore broad bean season entirely and never stock them. Unfair to Vicia faba, I say. I am a broad bean extremist and this is one of my favourite recipes. It uses three ingredients that are at their best right now: lamb, artichokes and broad beans.

Lamb, artichoke and broad bean stew
(or “tagine” if impressing guests)
Serves 6-8

• Lamb shoulder which you have cajoled your butcher into boning and cubing, about 1.5kg
• 6 artichoke hearts quartered, or if you prefer (or can’t be bothered) 6 artichokes preserved in oil, from the shop, drained and quartered
• 500 g broad beans
• 2 preserved lemons, cut in eighths
• 12 green olives
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 250ml veal or chicken stock (water will do if you’ve fallen behind in your stock-making)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• Ground pepper

Method

IN a heavy casserole or deep frypan, brown the lamb in batches in the olive oil. Drain on a tea towel or kitchen paper. I suppose the culinary obsessives among you will be using a stringently authentic tagine. It’s a pot with a conical lid, novices.
Cook the sliced onion in the casserole until it softens; add the garlic when the onion is nearly done. Add the browned lamb with the stock (or water), ground coriander, ground ginger, saffron threads, ground pepper and tightly tied bunches of coriander and parsley. Cover and cook quietly, stirring every now and then, until the lamb is tender. About an hour and a bit.
Bin the bunches of herbs and add the artichokes, green olives and preserved lemon, cover and simmer for another half an hour. Stir in the broad beans with about 10 minutes to go. Serve with couscous, rice, or risoni – anything that soaks up the juice.

You might like to deviate from this recipe by fiddling with the balance or adding smoked paprika, almonds, ground cumin, toasted pine nuts, mint, grapes, anything you could imagine bargaining for in a Moroccan souk.