Chefs' Recipes

Stanbuli's fava bean pâté with beetroot, carrot and pickled okra (Bakla ezmesi)

Serve this creamy fava bean pâté at your next gathering. It combines the earthy flavours of beetroot, carrot and pickled okra and is fantastic on crunchy bread or crackers.

  • 45 mins preparation
  • 1 hr 30 mins cooking plus soaking, straining, pickling, setting
  • Serves 6
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Fava bean pâté with beetroot, carrot and pickled okra (Bakla ezmesi)
"This is a delicious creamy pâté that's served chilled with bread," says Kasif. "It's also visually stunning with the soft earthy green, electric pink and warm orange. We serve this at Stanbuli with pickled okra, pickled radishes and purslane." Start this recipe at least four days ahead to pickle the okra and set the pâté.
Pictured with Stanbuli's Turkish-Cyrpiot fragrant village bread.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 50ml olive oil
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 250 gm dried peeled broad beans, soaked overnight in plenty of cold water and
  • a pinch of bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 fresh bay leaf, torn
  • Crushed white pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup dill and flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve (loosely packed)
  • Finely chopped onion, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and crushed caraway and nigella seeds, to serve
Pickled okra
  • 250 ml white vinegar
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tsp ground pul biber
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 400 gm small okra, trimmed
Beetroot and carrot yoghurts
  • 1 large beetroot (350gm)
  • 100 ml white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 200 gm yoghurt, strained through a muslin-lined sieve for 1 hour to thicken
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 2 carrots, coarsely grated
  • 25 ml olive oil

Method

Main
  • 1
    For pickled okra, bring vinegar, garlic, chilli, 750ml water and ½ tsp salt to a simmer in a saucepan, then cool briefly (5 minutes). Place tomato in a 1.5-litre jar, top with okra, then pour in vinegar mixture, seal and refrigerate for at least 4 days or ideally 2 weeks. Pickled okra will keep refrigerated for a month.
    For pickled okra, bring vinegar, garlic, chilli, 750ml water and ½ tsp salt to a simmer in a saucepan, then cool briefly (5 minutes). Place tomato in a 1.5-litre jar, top with okra, then pour in vinegar mixture, seal and refrigerate for at least 4 days or ideally 2 weeks. Pickled okra will keep refrigerated for a month.
  • 2
    Fry onion and garlic in oil in a saucepan over low-medium heat until very soft (14-15 minutes). Bring sugar, 1 tsp salt and 500ml water to the boil in a large saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Drain fava beans and add to onion mixture with bay leaf and pepper and toss to coat. Add herbs and hot water mixture and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beans start to break down and mixture is thick (35-45 minutes; add a little extra water if necessary). Transfer beans to a food processor and purée until smooth, season to taste, then transfer to an 8cm x 20cm loaf tin or mould lined with plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate overnight to set.
  • 3
    For beetroot and carrot yoghurts, boil beetroot in salted water with vinegar and brown sugar until tender (35-40 minutes). Peel, purée in a food processor until smooth, then fold in half the yoghurt and half the garlic, season to taste and refrigerate until needed. Meanwhile, sauté carrot and remaining garlic in olive oil in a saucepan over low heat, covered and stirring occasionally, until very tender (25-30 minutes). Purée in a clean food processor until smooth, then fold in remaining yoghurt and refrigerate until needed.
  • 4
    Cut the fava bean pâté into thick slices and serve with a spoonful each of carrot yoghurt and beetroot yoghurt and some pickled okra. Top with extra herbs, finely chopped onion, lemon juice and olive oil, scatter with caraway and nigella seeds and serve with bread.

Notes

Dried peeled broad beans are available from Turkish delicatessens. If they're unavailable use unpeeled dried broad beans; the colour may vary.
Drink Suggestion: Esporao Pé Rosé from Portugal, a great little rosé that's a blend of Aragonêz and syrah with hints of strawberries and cream. Drink suggestion by Joe Valore