Kate S. Jordan

BY The Editors

PUBLISHED April 20, 2025

These crispy snacks are a revelation. Yes, you can buy very small containers of them now in some fancier markets and they're good. But nothing will prepare you for how much more delicious they are when you make them yourself and how much more affordable. What you want here are not fresh, canned, or frozen fava beans but the inexpensive dry ones that usually come in plastic bags in the dried bean section of the market. If you can’t find them at your local grocery store, you can almost always find them in Hispanic markets or online. And because once you commit to deep frying—it’s just as easy to deep fry a lot as it is a little—I’d suggest you get a couple of bags so you can amortize your oil, as I think you’ll find them so addictive you’ll want to make them somewhat regularly. I add the fried parsley (it takes mere seconds to cook once the oil is hot and the favas are cooling) because it transforms these from a shy little snack to a vibrant, eye-catching delicacy of amber-toned beans flecked with forest green leafy bits. Salty, crunchy, and creamy (they are beans, after all), this recipe requires three things of you: to get over any fear you have of using a candy thermometer (don’t fret—it’s just like any other thermometer), to be attentive to the heat (keep it hovering around 350°F and you’ll be fine), and to be careful with the hot oil (use potholders and let the phone ring—they’ll call back). I know frying is a bit of a to do—it isn’t something I do a ton of at home either—but some recipes are worth the extra care and cleanup, and this is definitely one of them. Last thought: Oil can be used a couple of times within a month or so. Once your pot of oil is completely cool, funnel it back into an empty container and use that as an excuse to make another batch soon. – Suzanne Lenzer