Gigantes Plaki

Gigantes Plaki (Greek Baked Giant Beans)

A classic Greek meze of giant white beans slow-baked in a rich tomato, onion, garlic and olive oil sauce until creamy inside and lightly caramelised on top. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread and feta.

Prep

20 min

Cook

150 min

Total

170 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 1½ oz) dried giant beans (gigantes), or large lima/butter beans as substitute
• •1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), for the soaking water, helps soften the skins
• •120 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling
• •2 large onions, finely chopped
• •6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• •400 g (14 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes, or 500 g passata / 300 g tomato paste thinned with 200 ml water
• •1 tbsp tomato paste
• •2 tsp sugar, to balance the tomato acidity
• •1 tsp dried oregano, Greek oregano if available
• •1 tsp ground cinnamon, optional but traditional in many Greek tomato bakes
• •2 bay leaves bay leaves
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) water, or bean cooking liquid
• •1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• •2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped, or 1 tsp dried dill
• •crusty bread and feta, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Soak the beans: rinse the dried giant beans and place in a large bowl. Cover with at least 5 cm (2 in) of cold water, add the bicarbonate of soda, and leave to soak at room temperature for 12–24 hours. The skins will loosen and the beans will roughly double in size.
2. 2 Drain and rinse the soaked beans thoroughly under cold running water to remove the bicarbonate of soda and any loose skins.
3. 3 Parboil the beans: place in a large pot, cover with fresh cold water, bring to the boil and skim off any foam. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 30–40 minutes, until the beans are just tender but still whole and not falling apart - a knife should slide in with slight resistance. Drain, reserving 250 ml (1 cup) of the cooking liquid.
4. 4 Preheat the oven to 190 °C / 375 °F / Gas 5.
5. 5 Make the sauce: heat 80 ml (⅓ cup) of the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
6. 6 Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, oregano, cinnamon, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the parsley and dill.
7. 7 Combine: tip the drained beans into a 2-litre (2-quart) baking dish. Pour the sauce over and add 150 ml (⅔ cup) of the reserved bean cooking liquid (or plain water). Toss gently so the beans are coated but not crushed. Drizzle with the remaining 40 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil.
8. 8 Bake uncovered for 60–75 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the sauce has thickened and darkened, the oil has risen to the surface, and the beans are completely creamy when pierced with a knife. If the dish looks dry at the halfway mark, add a splash of the reserved bean liquid.
9. 9 Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Gigantes plaki is traditionally served warm or at room temperature, not piping hot, with crusty bread and a block of feta on the side.
10. 10 Storage: cool completely and refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days; the flavour improves overnight. Reheat gently at 160 °C / 325 °F for 15 minutes, or serve at room temperature.