Fava Beans & Fennel - Worth all the work!

Tonight I decided to try out the fresh fava beans I purchased Sunday. Originally from England, these beans are becoming more and more common in Los Angeles Farmers Markets, yet still most of us do not know what to do with them. I started to research the ways you van eat these little guys, and stumbled across a Mario Batali recipe from FoodNetwork.com. I just made a few changes, put in a lot of work, and let me tell you...amazing! I have never had beans like this before:

Fava Bean Toasties with Roasted Fennel
4 servings - a great appetizer

*Hint: If you are low on time, just heat up some garlic bread (make sure it is extra toastie) and spread your fava beans on that!

Ingredients
1/2 pound shucked fava beans

4 tbsp plus 2 tbsp plus 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

8 slices french bread

1/4 bulb fennel, finely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees for fennel and bring 6 quarts of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons salt for fava beans. Shuck fava beans.



Cook the fava beans in the boiling water until very tender, about 10 minutes.



Drain and refresh in and ice bath. Drain again on paper towels, then peel skin off the beans.

Place the beans in the bowl of a food processor and pulse, drizzling in 4 tablespoons olive oil to make a smooth puree. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.



Toss finely chopped fennel with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and salt (to taste). Spread fennel on a small cookie sheet and roast for 5-6 minutes or until brown. Set aside to cool, then set aside in small bowl.

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and slices of bread, a few at a time, and fry in the oil until browned on both sides.

Remove the bread, spread with the fava puree, sprinkle with the roasted fennel, serve and ENJOY!

(Like I said, it takes a lot of time)