Broad Beans

These delicate beans are available fresh from autumn through most of winter. Removing the beans’ outer skins produces a verdant treasure: simply plunge the podded beans into boiling salted water for 1 minute and refresh in cold running water then gently squeeze to release the bright green beans from their greyish-green shells. Use in salads or toss with melted butter, olive oil or cream. For a simple but delicious meal, gently pan-fry chicken breasts in butter then deglaze the pan with white wine, adding a few spoonfuls of reduced chicken stock and finishing with crème fraîche. Add broad beans and some chopped fines herbes before serving with little new potatoes.