Bissara with Garlic Confit and Toasted Cumin Oil

Method

1. Rinse the beans 2 or 3 times in cold water, picking out any debris, then soak in three times their height of cold water for 8 h. They're ready when they crush easily between your fingers.

   Add in this stepDried split peeled fava beans 200 g

2. Make the garlic confit: put the peeled garlic and all the olive oil in a 14 cm small pan and cook over low heat for 15 min. Only tiny bubbles should rise; it's done when the cloves are pale gold and a knife slides in like soft butter. Dark brown garlic turns bitter, so keep the heat gentle. Keep the cloves and oil; you'll use them in stages.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves, peeled 6Extra virgin olive oil 5 tbsp

   low heat

3. Spoon about a quarter of the garlic oil (oil only) into a 20 cm pot, add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat for 5 min, until soft and translucent but not browned, which keeps the soup a clean pale colour.

   Add in this stepOnion, finely chopped ½

   medium heat

4. Add the drained beans and the water. Bring to the boil over high heat, skimming off the foam, then turn down to medium-low heat, set the lid ajar and simmer for 50 min, until the beans have collapsed completely. Stir the bottom occasionally and add hot water if it gets too thick.

   Add in this stepWater 1,000 ml

   high heat→medium-low heat

5. Turn off the heat, add half of the confit garlic cloves, the salt and the lemon juice, and blend with a stick blender for 3 minutes until very fine. For a truly silky texture, press it through a fine sieve with the back of a ladle. It should flow slowly off a spoon: loosen with hot water if needed and check the seasoning.

   Add in this stepSalt 1 tspLemon (juice) ½

6. Make the spiced oil: put the remaining garlic oil and cloves in a small pan over low heat, add the cumin seeds and toast for 1 min, until they smell strongly fragrant. Take the pan off the heat straight away and stir in the smoked paprika and cayenne; paprika scorches and turns bitter in seconds over a flame.

   Add in this stepWhole cumin seeds 1 tspSmoked paprika ¾ tspCayenne pepper 1 pinch

   low heat

7. Ladle the hot bissara into bowls, make a shallow well in the centre with the back of a spoon, pour in the red spiced oil and garlic cloves, and scatter over the coriander.

   Add in this stepFresh coriander leaves, chopped 2 tbsp