Ful Medames

Method15 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Pick through and rinse the small dried Egyptian fava beans (2 cups), keeping their skins on. Cover generously with the separate soaking water and leave to soak overnight.

   Uses 2 cups small dried Egyptian fava beans, soaked overnight in step 1 · Enough water to cover dry beans generously for overnight soaking

2. 2

   Step 2: Drain all the actual soaked beans and discard their used soaking water, keeping the unpeeled drained beans ready to simmer.

   Uses All actual soaked beans

3. 3

   Step 3: Put all the drained soaked beans in a large saucepan with enough fresh unsalted cooking water to cover them. Bring to a gentle simmer and cover the saucepan.

   Uses All actual drained soaked beans · Fresh unsalted water to cover soaked beans, with extra to keep them covered

4. 4

   Step 4: Simmer gently with the lid on for about two to two and a half hours until the beans are fully tender. Their age and quality can change the time, so continue as needed and add more fresh water to keep them covered while they soften.

   Gently simmer soaked fava beans until tender · 150 minUses The complete actual bean saucepan

5. 5

   Step 5: Only once the beans are soft, salt them to taste. Let the actual cooking liquid reduce until it forms a light sauce around the beans.

   Uses All actual tender beans and broth · Salt for the beans, added only after they soften

6. 6

   Step 6: Lift a ladle or two of the actual cooked beans into a bowl with some of their actual cooking liquid and mash them. Keep this true mashed portion separate from the remaining whole beans in the saucepan.

   Uses A ladle or two to mash, keeping the remaining beans in the pot

7. 7

   Step 7: Stir all the actual mashed bean portion back into the remaining actual cooked beans to thicken their sauce. Keep the complete cooked bean mixture hot while preparing the fresh accompaniments.

   Uses All actual mashed portion and the held actual whole beans

8. 8

   Step 8: Wash and chop the fresh flat-leaf parsley (⅓ cup), measuring one-third cup for the six bean bowls.

   Uses ⅓ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed and chopped in step 8

9. 9

   Step 9: Peel and crush all four garlic cloves and put the actual crushed garlic in a small dish for serving.

   Uses 4 Garlic Clove

10. 10

    Step 10: Wash all three lemons and cut each into quarters, keeping the actual lemon quarters ready for people to squeeze as wanted.

    Uses 3 Lemons

11. 11

    Step 11: Divide the actual hot cooked bean mixture among six soup bowls.

    Uses The complete actual bean mixture

12. 12

    Step 12: Sprinkle all the prepared chopped parsley across the six actual filled bean bowls.

    Uses All six actual filled bowls · All actual measured chopped parsley

13. 13

    Step 13: Set the actual crushed-garlic dish and quartered lemons beside the six bean bowls for people to help themselves.

    Uses The actual prepared garlic dish · All actual prepared lemon quarters

14. 14

    Step 14: Offer extra-virgin olive oil, ground cumin, the separate table salt, black pepper and optional chilli-pepper flakes alongside the actual bean bowls, so each person can season their serving to taste.

    Uses All six actual finished bean bowls · Extra-virgin olive oil to dress beans to taste · Ground cumin for serving, a sprinkling to taste · Salt for table dressing, to taste · Black pepper for table dressing, to taste · Chilli-pepper flakes for table dressing, to taste

15. 15

    Step 15: Serve the actual hot bean bowls with the actual prepared garlic and lemon quarters. Gently crush the cooked beans with a fork as you dress them with oil, squeezed lemon, garlic and seasonings to taste, retaining unused accompaniments separately.

    Uses All actual beans and offered dressings · The actual crushed garlic and quartered lemons, used to taste