River Cottage

Hugh combines fresh broad beans with smokey cheese for a taste sensation on Italian-style bread

Serves 4

• 600g podded broad beans
• 30g butter
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 large slices of sourdough or other robust bread, toasted
• 50g crumbled ricotta or crumbly smoked cheese
• Chopped mint, to garnish

1. Cook the podded broad beans in boiling water until tender. Drain and, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, pop the beans out of their skins.

2. Melt the butter with the rapeseed or olive oil over a very low heat, add the chopped garlic and warm gently for a minute or two. Add the beans to the garlicky butter and then blitz to a coarse purée, or mash. Add a little more butter if needed.

3. Pile the warm purée on to hot bruschetta, prepared as above, then scatter over the crumbled ricotta or smoked cheese and add a trickle of extra virgin oil and some chopped mint.