Greek Island Hopping

Beans Means Giants

Myrisa Luke

…It was a case of love at the very first taste, one warm spring evening in Athens, a few years ago. The Greeks make this dish, Gigantes Plaki, with huge white beans called fassolia gigantes. If they are impossible to get hold of, buy the largest butter beans you can find. It is not difficult to prepare. Beans are nutritious, protein–packed and very satisfying too, with useful amounts of folic acid and other vitamins and minerals.

Dill is a delicious herb to use as the flavour makes for a really yummy marriage with the beans, but oregano (use Greek rigani if you can) with thyme and parsley also work well.

Ingredients

250g / 8oz dried butter beans
500g / 1 lb just ripe tomatoes or 400g can chopped tomatoes or passata
1 medium onion
1 large clove garlic
1 stick celery (optional)
1 small carrot (optional)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
½ tablespoon of tomato puree
salt and black pepper
1 handful of chopped dill, or ½ tsp dried thyme and 1tsp dried oregano plus
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Preparation

(1) Soak the beans preferably overnight, or for at least 8 hours. Drain them and put them in a large saucepan. Add cold water and boil the beans for 30 to 45 minutes until they are soft, but not so soft that they break up, then drain them.

(2) Remove the skins if using fresh tomatoes. Cover with boiling water for 1 minute, immediately cool them under cold, running water, then peel off the skin and roughly chop the flesh.

(3) Chop the onions and garlic finely, place in a large casserole and sauté them until golden, while stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the optional finely chopped carrots, keep stirring, then add the chopped dill or dried herbs and mix well before adding the tomatoes. Stir in the tomato purée. Season with salt and black pepper and cook on a low heat for about 30 minutes until the sauce thickens.

(4) Pour the drained beans into the sauce and mix well. If using parsley, add it now. Place the uncovered casserole in a preheated oven at 180 C (350 F) for 45 minutes. The top should be crisp but not too dry. Alternatively, cover it and leave to cook on the hob for a further 15 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Myrisa Luke

This quantity serves 4 people and this dish can be enjoyed in many different ways; on its own, served as one of several dishes or meze, as a side dish with meat dishes, tucked into a pocket of toasted pitta bread or even as Giants on Toast instead of the usual Beans on Toast. You will keep coming back for more…

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Tags: Myrisa Luke, recipes