- 1½ cups shelled fresh fava beans (about 1½ pounds unshelled), or 1½ cups soybeans or peas, thawed if frozen
- 4 medium-size artichokes, pared down to the heart
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 5 tablespoons fragrant extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-size onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 piece (3 to 4 ounces) Serrano ham or prosciutto, finely diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium-size Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch lengths
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
- 1¼ to 1½ cups chicken stock or broth, or water
- Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional)
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the fava beans and cook until just tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain the fava beans in a colander and place it under cold running water until the beans are cool enough to handle. Gently peel the skins off the beans. Set the beans aside.
- Drain the acidulated water form the artichokes and cut each heart crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices, including the stems. Rub the slices with the cut side of the lemon halves to prevent discoloring, then set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and ham and cook, stirring, until the onion is limp, about 5 minutes. Add half of the garlic and the sliced artichokes and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Partially cover the pan and continue cooking until the artichokes are almost tender, 5 to 7 minutes, adjusting the heat so that the artichokes cook without browning. Add the potato and green beans and cook for 1 minute. Add enough stock to barely cover the vegetables and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer the stew, partially covered, until all the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the fava beans and cook until tender, about 5 minutes longer.
- Place the parsley and the remaining garlic in a mortar and, using a pestle, mash them to a paste. Add the parsley mixture to the stew. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper as necessary and the lemon juice if desired. Cook the stew until the flavors meld, another minute or so. Let the stew cool to warm and serve.