Zest Salt Broad Bean Smash with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

Difficulty: Easy | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 10 min | Total: 25 min | Serves: 4 | Dietary: Vegan, Gluten-Free

Broad beans are hitting the shops right now and this is the easiest thing you can do with them. Smash them rough with lemon and mint, pile hot blistered tomatoes on top, and finish with Chooki's Zest Chicken Salt. Put it out with rice cakes and watch it disappear before the snags are even on.

Step 1: Blanch and Peel

Drop the broad beans into a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes (2 if they're fresh), then drain and tip them into a bowl of iced water. Once they're cool, pinch each bean and squeeze the bright green inside out of its grey skin. It's fiddly for five minutes, but it's what makes the smash taste sweet instead of leathery.

Step 2: Blister the Tomatoes

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the tomatoes and leave them alone for 2 minutes, then shake the pan and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the skins are charred in spots and a few have split. Hit them with a small pinch of Zest Salt while they're still spitting.

Step 3: Smash

Put the peeled beans in a bowl with the garlic, lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 teaspoon of Zest Salt. Mash with a fork until about half the beans are crushed and the rest are still holding their shape. Tear in half the mint and stir it through.

Step 4: Pile It Up

Spread the smash over a wide plate, make a few dips with the back of a spoon, and tip the hot tomatoes and their pan juices over the top. Finish with the rest of the mint, a last pinch of Zest Salt and a drizzle of oil. Serve with rice cakes for scooping.

Tip: Do the tomatoes last so they hit the smash hot. The juice runs into the beans and that's the best bit.