Only brief steaming or cooking is required when broad beans are in their prime but, as the season progresses, the pods get bigger and tougher and then the beans are encased in a thick outer skin. The unappetising skins need to be removed and the beans should go into the pot straightaway. Once cooked, add a little butter and sprinkle with chopped summer savory or tarragon and serve as an accompaniment to roast lamb or a barbecued fish fillet. Give them an Italian twist by mashing freshly boiled broad beans with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and piling the verdant mash onto bruschetta for an easy summery nibble. They are also good for flavouring meat stews or lamb dishes. Egyptian ful medames is a dish of cooked broad beans (a small dried variety called ‘ful’) flavoured with garlic and lemon.
