Iain Bagwell
Mashed favas and an exotic mix of spices give the familiar egg salad sandwich a makeover. North African–cookbook author Kitty Morse introduced us to the Tunisian spice blend called tabil, which is easy to make with ingredients that may already be in your pantry.
This recipe, and others like it, can be found in the article “22 Recipes Where Fresh and Vibrant Spring Vegetables Are the Star.”
Make fava salad: In a bowl, coarsely mash fava beans with a pastry blender. Stir in oil, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside.
Make egg salad: Peel and slice eggs; set aside. Using a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind garlic, coriander seeds, chile, caraway seeds, and salt to make tabil. Stir in mayonnaise, mashing mixture a bit.
Generously smear one side of toasts with tabil mayonnaise. Arrange a layer of eggs on top, then spoon fava salad over eggs. Scatter chopped cilantro over sandwiches and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve sandwiches open-face and eat with a knife and fork.
*Find in the spice aisle at well-stocked supermarkets, Latino markets, and americanspice.com.
How to Double-Shell Favas: Makes 2 cups 30 minutes Tear open 3 lbs. fava pods*. Add beans from pods to a pot of boiling salted water and return to a boil. Cook just until beans are tender beneath skin (slit to check), 2 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Peel leathery skin by tearing beans open at rounded ends and popping out beans. *Find at well-stocked grocery stores and farmers' markets. Make ahead: All but the final peeling, up to 1 day, chilled.
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* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.