Ingredients
For the toasts:
- 1 baguette, sliced 1 to 1½ inches thick (about 8 slices)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
- Flaky sea salt
For the smash:
- 1 cup fresh peas, shelled and blanched
- 1 cup fresh fava beans, shelled and blanched
- 1 small handful fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
- 2 green onions, finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper
For finishing:
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar (for reducing)
- A block of parmesan, for shaving
Instructions
Make the balsamic reduction:
- Pour the ¼ cup balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan over low heat. Let it simmer gently — you want tiny, lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the vinegar has reduced by about half and coats the back of a spoon in a thin, glossy layer. It should smell sweet and concentrated, not sharp. Remove from heat and set aside — it will thicken further as it cools.
Toast the bread:
- Slice the baguette into 1 to 1½ inch thick rounds. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Toast in a toaster oven or under the broiler until deeply golden and crisp all the way through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. The bread should feel firm and snap when you break it, not bend. Sprinkle each toast lightly with flaky sea salt while still warm.
Smash the peas and favas:
- Add the blanched peas and fava beans to a mortar and pestle along with the torn basil, sliced green onions, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pound and smash until you have a rough, chunky mixture — some pieces should be creamy and broken down while others stay whole and pop between your teeth. Taste and adjust the salt. The mixture should taste bright, grassy, and just a little sweet.
Assemble:
- Spoon a generous mound of the pea and fava smash onto each toast, pressing it gently into the bread. Using a vegetable peeler, shave wide curls of parmesan over the top. Drizzle each toast with the balsamic reduction — it should fall in a thin, sticky stream. Finish with a crack of black pepper and serve immediately while the toast is still crisp.