Split Pea Fava & Pitta

📝 Ingredients

• 250 g dried split peas
• 1 brown onion (about 120 g)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp olive oil (2 for the purée, 1 for serving)
• 1 lemon (juice)
• ½ red onion (about 50 g)
• 1 tbsp capers, drained
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 pitta breads (about 70 g each)
• 3 tomatoes (about 120 g each)
• 60 g feta
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Medium saucepan
• Fine sieve
• Stick blender
• Frying pan
• Chopping board and knife
• Mixing bowl

📖 Steps

1. Tip the split peas into a fine sieve and rinse under cold water, rubbing them between your fingers, until the water runs clear. Peel the brown onion and cut it into quarters.
2. Put the split peas, onion and bay leaf in a saucepan with 1 litre cold water, without adding salt for now. Bring to the boil over a high heat and skim off the white foam that forms on the surface with a spoon.
3. Reduce to a low heat, cover three-quarters of the way and cook for 40 to 45 min, stirring every 5 min, as the peas tend to catch on the bottom. Add a little hot water if the mixture gets too thick before the end: the peas should fall apart on their own.
4. Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt, add 2 tbsp olive oil and two-thirds of the lemon juice, then blend until smooth and glossy, like a loose hummus. It thickens as it cools: loosen it with a little hot water if needed.
5. While the peas are cooking, cut the tomatoes into wedges and put them in a bowl with the crumbled feta, half the oregano, the rest of the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss gently.
6. Slice the red onion very thinly into half-moons. To mellow its strong flavour, soak it in a bowl of cold water for 5 min, then drain and pat dry on kitchen paper.
7. Warm the pittas for 1 min on each side in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, until soft and hot, then cut into triangles. Keep them wrapped in a tea towel so they don't dry out.
8. Spread the warm fava in shallow bowls, making a hollow in the centre with the back of a spoon. Drizzle with the last tbsp olive oil, scatter with the red onion, capers and the rest of the oregano, and season with pepper. Serve with the pittas and the salad.