Ingredients
2 tbsp blended oil
10 white shallots (finely sliced)
10 garlic cloves (finely chopped, paste)
2 kg yellow split peas
4 dried bay leaves
1 tbsp salt
1tbsp cracked black pepper
Method
1) Rinse and drain yellow split peas.
2) In a pot, heat up oil then sweat out onions till soft and translucent.
3) At split peas and stir for 2 minutes. Add bay leaves, salt and pepper.
4) Cover peas with water with 8cm in excess of surface.
5) Simmer gently until very soft but not mushy. Skim starch off the top layer every now and then.
6) Transfer onto a perforated tray and allow liquid to drain. Remove bay leaves.
Ingredients for topping
8 garlic cloves (smashed)
2 shallots (roughly chopped)
1/2 lemon (juiced)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
small handful of picked dill
Method
1) In a food processor, combine garlic, shallots, lemon juice. Add 3/4 of the split pea mixture and pulse until smooth.
2) With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil to form an emulsion.
3) Add the dill and season to taste. Pulse again.
4) Turn into a large bowl and mix in the remaining split pea mixture.
5) Mix with a spatula until evenly mixed. You can store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To one portion add some toasted hazelnuts, thinly sliced shallots that have been steeped in red wine vinegar for 10 minutes. Also fry some well drained chickpeas in some oil until crispy. Drain the chickpeas well season with salt and garnish the fava puree. Sprinkle some chopped parsley over the top, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and serve.