Gigantes Plaki

Gigantes Plaki

Greek baked butter beans, vegan, one pot, 50 min, 170°C, serves 4

Ingredients

The beans
butter beans     2 tins, drained

The sauce
onion            1, finely chopped
carrot           1, finely chopped
celery           1 stick, finely chopped
garlic           2 cloves, sliced
chopped tomatoes 1 x 400g tin
tomato puree     1 tbsp
olive oil        100ml
dried oregano    1 tsp
ground cinnamon  pinch
bay leaf         1
parsley          handful, chopped
salt and pepper  to season

To finish
halloumi         200g, sliced (optional)
feta             optional

The generous olive oil is the dish, not a lot to cut back. This is ladera, cooked in oil.
Dried gigantes soaked overnight and simmered until tender are the real giant beans. Tinned butter beans are the weeknight route.
Leave the feta off to keep it vegan.

Recipe

1. Heat the oven to 170°C. Soften in the oil in an ovenproof pan over medium heat, 8 minutes:

[onion 1 finely chopped, carrot 1 finely chopped, celery 1 stick, garlic 2 cloves sliced]

2. Stir in the tomato puree for a minute, then add and simmer 5 minutes:

[chopped tomatoes 1 tin, dried oregano 1 tsp, ground cinnamon pinch, bay leaf 1]

3. Stir in the beans and most of the parsley. Season. Add a splash of water so the beans sit just covered in a loose sauce.

It should look a little too saucy going in. The beans drink it and the top sets in the oven.

4. Into the oven, uncovered, 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is crusty and the sauce has thickened around the beans.

To level it up with halloumi, lay the slices on top for the last 20 minutes so they bake golden. Or fry them in a dry pan until crisp and lay them on at the end. Skip the feta if you do, and hold the salt back, halloumi brings plenty.

5. Rest 10 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil, scatter the rest of the parsley, and crumble over feta if using. Serve warm or at room temperature with bread.

❄ Freezer
Freeze: cool fully, freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Add the feta fresh.
Reheat: from frozen in a low oven or a pan until piping hot.

Sources: The Mediterranean Dish, Real Greek Recipes.