Pecorino and Pear Salad
- 2 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled
- 1 fennel bulb
- 6 1/2 ounces aged Italian pecorino
- 4 tablespoons pear vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 firm but ripe Bartlett or Anjou pears
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- Coarse sea salt
- 4 small sprigs tarragon
- Place fava beans in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer 3 minutes.
- Drain, allow to cool and peel outer skins.
- Trim fennel bulb, quarter and remove core.
- Slice paper-thin on a mandoline.
- Place in a bowl with fava beans.
- Finely grate 1/2 ounce cheese.
- Cut the rest in paper-thin slices and set aside.
- Combine vinegar and oil in a small bowl, stir in grated cheese and pour over fennel and favas.
- Toss.
- Set aside.
- Cut pears in half vertically.
- Remove cores.
- Slice paper-thin, vertically.
- Place in another bowl and toss with lemon juice.
- To assemble, divide fennel and fava beans among four salad plates.
- On top, make three alternating layers of pecorino and pear slices, ending with pears.
- Scatter pine nuts, sprinkle with sea salt and garnish each plate with a sprig of tarragon.
- Serve.
fava beans, fennel, aged italian, pear vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, bartlett, lemon, nuts, salt, tarragon
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012486 (may not work)