If you've ever seen the above - or just "baked beans", or the even more blunt "big beans" - on a translated menu while on holiday in Greece, and you've avoided what sounds like a rather boring item, you've been missing a trick. Fasolia gigantes, literally giant beans, are one of the joys of Greek cuisine, and they are nothing like our familiar Heinz Baked Beans, nor indeed the Boston Baked Beans those originally derived from. They're a classic piece of "peasant" cooking; simple, wholesome, gluten and nut-free, and not just vegetarian but vegan; they're also easy to make, very tasty and highly diabetes-friendly. Beans give a decent amount of vegetable protein and a reasonable amount of low-GI carbohydrate, set-off with plenty of fibre for your digestion.
Unfortunately, I've never found them on sale in this country except as canned or (slightly posher) bottled versions, ready cooked. These are okay, with a taste evocative of holidays. But the real thing, cooked at home from the basics, are much better. These days I bring a bag of dried fasolia gigantes back religiously from holiday each spring, so I can make my own Gigantes Plaki, giant baked beans.
Edited, 28/5/16, to add: I have now discovered at least two companies importing gigantes, hurrah! here is one of them: https://greekmarket.co.uk/index.php/greek-groceries/greek-beans-grains.html
Gigantes look a bit like butter beans, but butter beans that have been working out; they are thick and beefy-looking, and they have a meaty texture and slightly sweet taste. They're not the cheapest bean but they're worth the extra money. If you do buy a bag on holiday and bring them home, try to use them up within 9 or 10 months maximum. Don't hoard them; I've made this mistake, and found that like any dried pulse they go stale after they've been open for a while, and then won't cook properly. I wound up throwing the last 1/4 of the bag away and feeling thoroughly cross with myself.
This is one of those dishes where every family which likes them is probably going to have their own variation on the recipe. I've evolved mine from adopting things that seem to me to work well; it's quite variable so don't be afraid to tweak it to suit, for example, what herbs you've got. The recipe can also be made with any other good dried beans, of course; borlotti beans are flavoursome enough and so are kidney beans (amend the cooking time if so, as gigantes are surprisingly quick to cook). But though that will give you a very good simple bean stew, it won't be authentic gigantes.
1/2 lb/ 200-250g dried fasolia gigantes, rinsed, checked for grit and soaked overnight
1 large onion, chopped
Vegetable oil and olive oil
1 can chopped tomatoes
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced finely
1 dessertspoonful dried oregano
1 large carrot, sliced
1 heaped teaspoonful dried dill
1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 small bunch fennel leaves, chopped
Optional - a couple of handfuls of spinach or a couple of stems of celery, chopped, plus leaves
Black pepper, tomato puree, stock powder, (optional) a little cinnamon
Put the beans in a saucepan, cover with fresh water and bring to the boil. Boil hard for ten minutes, then simmer for 30-40. They should still have a bit of solidity at this stage, so don't cook until they are completely soft - they've still got almost an hour of cooking to go. Slice the onion and fry until golden in a tablespoon or so of ordinary vegetable oil; after 5 minutes or so, add the carrot, garlic and all the dried herbs, some pepper, plus the celery and cinnamon (if using). Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes, a dessertspoon or so of tomato puree and a teaspoon of stock powder, and the fresh herbs. Simmer for another 5 minutes until thick and rich, add the spinach (if using), stir in and allow to wilt. Add the beans and a little of their water and stir all together quickly. Pour into an ovenproof dish or a deep baking tin. If the beans aren't covered by the sauce, add a bit more of the water. Pour a slug of olive oil on top and sprinkle with a little more oregano. Cook in a medium oven (Fan 150 degrees, gas 4 or so) for 45 minutes to an hour. Serve hot or cold. This should be enough for two people as a main dish or three to four as a starter or side dish.
Giant Baked Beans, or Gigantes Plaki, fresh out of the oven
Unfortunately, I've never found them on sale in this country except as canned or (slightly posher) bottled versions, ready cooked. These are okay, with a taste evocative of holidays. But the real thing, cooked at home from the basics, are much better. These days I bring a bag of dried fasolia gigantes back religiously from holiday each spring, so I can make my own Gigantes Plaki, giant baked beans.
Edited, 28/5/16, to add: I have now discovered at least two companies importing gigantes, hurrah! here is one of them: https://greekmarket.co.uk/index.php/greek-groceries/greek-beans-grains.html
Gigantes look a bit like butter beans, but butter beans that have been working out; they are thick and beefy-looking, and they have a meaty texture and slightly sweet taste. They're not the cheapest bean but they're worth the extra money. If you do buy a bag on holiday and bring them home, try to use them up within 9 or 10 months maximum. Don't hoard them; I've made this mistake, and found that like any dried pulse they go stale after they've been open for a while, and then won't cook properly. I wound up throwing the last 1/4 of the bag away and feeling thoroughly cross with myself.
This is one of those dishes where every family which likes them is probably going to have their own variation on the recipe. I've evolved mine from adopting things that seem to me to work well; it's quite variable so don't be afraid to tweak it to suit, for example, what herbs you've got. The recipe can also be made with any other good dried beans, of course; borlotti beans are flavoursome enough and so are kidney beans (amend the cooking time if so, as gigantes are surprisingly quick to cook). But though that will give you a very good simple bean stew, it won't be authentic gigantes.
1/2 lb/ 200-250g dried fasolia gigantes, rinsed, checked for grit and soaked overnight
1 large onion, chopped
Vegetable oil and olive oil
1 can chopped tomatoes
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced finely
1 dessertspoonful dried oregano
1 large carrot, sliced
1 heaped teaspoonful dried dill
1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 small bunch fennel leaves, chopped
Optional - a couple of handfuls of spinach or a couple of stems of celery, chopped, plus leaves
Black pepper, tomato puree, stock powder, (optional) a little cinnamon
Put the beans in a saucepan, cover with fresh water and bring to the boil. Boil hard for ten minutes, then simmer for 30-40. They should still have a bit of solidity at this stage, so don't cook until they are completely soft - they've still got almost an hour of cooking to go. Slice the onion and fry until golden in a tablespoon or so of ordinary vegetable oil; after 5 minutes or so, add the carrot, garlic and all the dried herbs, some pepper, plus the celery and cinnamon (if using). Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes, a dessertspoon or so of tomato puree and a teaspoon of stock powder, and the fresh herbs. Simmer for another 5 minutes until thick and rich, add the spinach (if using), stir in and allow to wilt. Add the beans and a little of their water and stir all together quickly. Pour into an ovenproof dish or a deep baking tin. If the beans aren't covered by the sauce, add a bit more of the water. Pour a slug of olive oil on top and sprinkle with a little more oregano. Cook in a medium oven (Fan 150 degrees, gas 4 or so) for 45 minutes to an hour. Serve hot or cold. This should be enough for two people as a main dish or three to four as a starter or side dish.
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