Grilled Fava Bean Pods with Chile and Lemon

• Recipe by Shelley Lindgren

"Trust me," says A16’s chef Nate Appleman about this unorthodox recipe. He quickly grills whole fava beans, tosses them with a crushed red pepper dressing and serves them hot. They can be eaten whole—the tender pods develop a lovely charred flavor on the grill—but it’s also easy to eat them in the traditional way by popping the beans out of their pods and outer skins.

Ingredients

1. 1 pound very fresh fava beans in the pods, rinsed
2. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 1 scallion, thinly sliced crosswise
4. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or Chinese chile sauce
5. Kosher salt
6. Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Light a grill. In a large bowl, toss the fava bean pods with the olive oil. Grill the favas over high heat for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until softened and charred in spots. Return the beans to the bowl and toss with the scallion, crushed red pepper and salt. Transfer to a platter and serve with lemon wedges.