Frittedda

I love broad beans and have an even greater appreciation for artichokes. When I searched for a new recipe I came across this one. It's a traditional Sicilian dish from the Palermo area. The name sounds like it should be an omelette but it's more of a sweet & sour stew of broad beans, peas and artichokes. It's usually served as a side dish but could also be added to pasta, such as macaroni.

Ingredients
1kg broad beans, fresh in their pods
1kg peas, fresh in their pods
8 artichokes
1 onion
1 lemon
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
salt
black pepper

Method
Peel the artichokes by removing all the tough outer leaves, cut the spikes, and removed the inner thistle part. Cut in half and keep them in water and lemon juice for about half an hour. Of course if you can't source fresh artichokes then jarred ones will have to do.

Shell the broad beans and peas. If you prefer, skin the broad beans by boiling them for a minute, then cool them rapidly with cold water, cut a slit in the thick skin and squeeze out the green bean inside.

In a large saucepan, on a medium heat add the olive oil, then the thinly sliced onion. Cook until soft and  translucent. Remove the artichokes from the water and pat dry with paper towels.  Slice the artichokes lengthways, about 1cm thick.

Add the sliced artichokes to the saucepan and let them cook for a few minutes, stirring. Turn the heat down then add the beans and peas. Add salt and pepper, and cook on the low heat, sprinkling with a little water when the bottom of the pan gets too dry. 

Finally, turn the heat up before adding 4 tablespoons of white wine vinegar and a 2 tablespoon of sugar, stir gently and allow the vinegar to evaporate. 

Pour into a serving bowl. Best served when cooled to room temperature but can be served hot or cold.