036Santorini yellow split pea purée

Method

Traditional Cycladic simmered style. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread and olives.

You will need

• fine sieve
• heavy saucepan
• wooden spoon
• whisk or immersion blender

1. Rinse the fava split peas in a fine sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear. 2 min Ready when: water runs clean
2. In a heavy saucepan, heat 30 ml of the olive oil over medium heat, add the chopped yellow onion, and sauté for 4 minutes until translucent but not browned. 4 min Ready when: soft and translucent
3. Add the rinsed fava and hot water, bring to a rolling boil over high heat, and skim off any white foam that rises to the surface with a slotted spoon. 5 min Ready when: surface skimmed clean
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially with a lid, and simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the peas have completely collapsed into a thick, bubbling mush. 40 min Ready when: peas completely dissolved and liquid mostly absorbed
5. Remove from heat, stir in the salt, lemon juice, and remaining 50 ml of extra virgin olive oil, then whisk vigorously with a wire whisk or blend briefly with an immersion blender until velvety smooth. 3 min Ready when: glossy and thick like warm custard
6. Spread warm onto a shallow plate or platter, let sit for 5 minutes to set slightly, then top with the chopped red onion, capers, and a final drizzle of olive oil. 5 min Ready when: gently firm on top but soft beneath

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Make ahead and storing

Can be cooked ahead; it thickens significantly as it cools and may be loosened with a splash of warm water and olive oil.

Fridge 4 days, reheats gently with a little water

Substitutions

• regular-yellow-split-peas for Santorini PDO fava (or yellow split peas). Standard yellow split peas work well, though they lack the mineral sweetness of genuine Santorini Lathyrus clymenum.

Common mistakes

• Adding salt at the start of cooking. Salting pulses before they tenderise toughens the skins and extends the cooking time unnecessarily.
• Leaving the fava unattended on high heat. The collapsed pulse is dense and catches easily on the base of the pot, imparting a burnt taste.

Regional variants

• Fava pantremeni cooked and topped with sweet caramelised onions
• Cycladic fava served with grilled octopus

About the dish

In Greece, fava refers not to broad beans (fava beans in English), but to the yellow split seeds of Lathyrus clymenum, an endemic sweet-pea legume cultivated on Santorini for over 3,500 years, as confirmed by archaeological finds at Akrotiri. The volcanic soil and arid microclimate produce a uniquely sweet, velvety pulse protected under EU PDO status. Traditionally cooked down with onion into a molten cream, fava is served 'pantremeni' (married) with raw diced onion, capers, and copious extra virgin olive oil.

Found in Cyclades. Cooked for everyday, lent, summer.

Cousins elsewhere

• Hummus (Levantine). Both are legume purées whipped with aromatics and dressed liberally with olive oil, though fava uses Lathyrus clymenum rather than chickpeas.
• Macco di fave (Italian). A Sicilian purée of dried broad beans cooked down until molten and drizzled with raw olive oil.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

397 kcal · protein 16 g · fat 19.2 g (saturated 2.7 g) · carbohydrate 42.8 g (sugars 7.3 g) · fibre 16.8 g · sodium 506 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Cycladic island culinary tradition, specifically the classic Santorini taverna presentation..

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