Bigilla

Rustic dip of ful ta' Ġirba (Maltese tic beans) mashed with garlic, herbs and olive oil, served with galletti.

• Serves: 6 people (as a dip)
• Preparation: 24 hr 15 min
• Cooking: 90 min

Ingredients

• 400g dried tic beans (ful ta' Ġirba), or dried broad beans
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 60ml olive oil (4 tbsp), plus extra for serving
• Juice of 1/2-1 lemon
• Small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Optional: pinch chilli flakes

Method

1. Soak the dried tic beans for 24 hours, changing the water before cooking.
2. Simmer in fresh water until completely tender, skimming when necessary, then drain.
3. Mash or process the warm beans to a coarse, thick paste.
4. Mix in garlic, parsley, chilli, lemon and olive oil, season well and loosen only if needed.

Image credit: Silvana.Bugeja via Wikimedia Commons (resized for web)

Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Homemade_Bigilla_from_Malta.jpg

Image licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/