Broad bean custard with lemon butter sauce
“The tender, brilliantly green broad bean is one of springtime's treats.”
- 500g broad beans
- 300ml whipping cream
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tsp savoury (or oregano)
- 3 eggs
- sea salt
- Tabasco sauce or white pepper
Lemon butter sauce
- 1 tbsp very finely diced or sliced shallots
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
6 peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- 100g unsalted butter, cut into 6 chunks
juice of
- 1/2 a lemon
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Broad beans are one of the few ingredients that seem to have defeated those who would make everything available all of the time. They are a springtime treat and by late spring have become fat and mealy. One of the loveliest springtime dishes is a combination of early spring vegetables, each cooked for just the right time to be tender and then brought together with a knob of butter and some freshly chopped herbs.
Method
Butter 4 x 100ml ovenproof dishes. Preheat oven to 160C.
Pod beans. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil and drop beans in for three minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water then double-peel. You should have about 100 grams of peeled beans.
Simmer cream with the chopped garlic for five minutes. Drop the peeled beans and chopped herbs into the hot cream then blend to a smooth bright-green puree.
In a bowl lightly whisk eggs and pour on the puree. Whisk lightly and put through a coarse strainer.
Divide mixture between dishes. Stand them in a baking dish and pour in water to come two-thirds up the sides. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just set. Allow to stand for a few minutes before unmoulding onto hot plates.
Spoon sauce over and around. Garnish with chervil.
Serves 4.
Lemon butter sauce
Simmer shallots, wine and crushed peppercorns in a small heavy-based saucepan until there is no obvious liquid left and shallots look mushy.
Over a moderate heat start whisking in the butter, a chunk at a time, adding the next chunk just as the previous one has been incorporated.
When all the butter is in the sauce, remove pan from the heat, still whisking, and add the lemon juice and the salt and pepper. Strain into a warm bowl and hold over warm water (not hot) until ready to serve (this takes minutes not hours).
A few extra double-peeled broad beans or spring peas could be dropped into the sauce just before serving.
