Sage and Onion Fava Bean Bake with Boozy Cranberry Sauce

Method

1. Put the split dried fava beans in a saucepan with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the beans are soft and much of the stock has been absorbed. Stir the mixture occasionally, more frequently towards the end of the cooking time.
2. Melt half of the butter in a large frying pan and sauté the onions for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until they have browned and reduced in volume. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped sage.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C / Gas Marrk 5.
4. When the beans are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining butter. Use a hand blender to purée the mixture and season generously with salt and pepper. (The purée should have the consistency of soft mashed potatoes so if the mixture is too stiff add a little water.)
5. Spoon half the bean purée into a pie or small lasagne dish and spread evenly across the dish. Distribute the onions evenly across the surface and then top with the remaining bean purée. Smooth the top and brush with melted butter.
6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes until golden on top. (If baking in individual serving dishes, reduce the cooking time to 25 minutes.)
7. Towards the end of baking, make the sauce by placing all the ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Just before serving, decorate the bake with small bunches of fresh sage and some defrosted or fresh cranberries. Serve the boozy cranberry sauce in a jug with a small ladle or spoon.

If making in advance, the bake can be made up to Step 5 and then either stored in the fridge for a couple of days (covered in cling film) or placed in the freezer for up to 6 weeks (stored in a large plastic bag). Defrost overnight or take the bake out of the fridge an hour before baking. The sauce can also be made in advance and either stored in the fridge or frozen.