KUSKSU BIL-FUL

ABOUT THIS RECIPE

Kusksu bil-ful belongs to a narrow window in spring when the fresh ful is young enough to eat whole. Outside that window, frozen broad beans do the job without complaint.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

60 ml Secret Garden Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more to finish 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tbsp kunserva 1.2 litres light vegetable or chicken stock 500 g fresh broad beans, podded (or 350 g frozen) 200 g kusksu pasta 4 ġbejniet friski 4 eggs (optional) 2 tbsp chopped parsley Grated Parmesan or ġbejna tal-bżar, to serve Sea salt and black pepper

METHOD

  1. Soften the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook the onion gently for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic for the last 2 minutes.
  2. Kunserva. Stir it in and let it fry for a minute so it loses its raw edge and deepens in colour.
  3. Stock and beans. Add the stock and the broad beans. Simmer 10 minutes for fresh beans, 5 for frozen.
  4. Kusksu. Add the pasta and simmer 8–10 minutes until tender. The soup should stay loose — add hot water if it tightens too much.
  5. Ġbejniet and eggs. Lower the ġbejniet into the soup. If using eggs, crack them straight in, cover the pot, and poach 4 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks still soft.
  6. Serve. Ladle into bowls making sure everyone gets a ġbejna and an egg. Parsley, cracked pepper, grated cheese, and a final pour of olive oil over the top.

NOTES

Don’t stir once the eggs go in or you will shred them through the soup. The finishing oil matters more here than the cooking oil, because the soup itself is mild. A robust unfiltered oil gives it the backbone it needs.