Gigantes Plaki
Γίγαντες Πλακί·(yee-GAHN-tes plah-KEE)
Nistisima (The Fasting Table & Everyday Vegan)
If there is a single scent that drags a first-generation Greek kid back to their grandmother's kitchen, it is the smell of gigantes plaki caramelizing in a hot oven. Plaki isn't an ingredient; it's an ancient, brilliant technique of slow-baking food in a wide pan drowning in olive oil and tomatoes until the sauce hits a rich, honeyed consistency. The secret to recreating this magic on a weeknight without resorting to the absolute tragedy of canned beans is modular cooking. You boil the dried beans on a Sunday, save their starchy broth like liquid gold, and on a Wednesday night, you whip up a quick sauce and let the oven do the heavy lifting.
Before you start
Soak the dried beans overnight.
Place the dried beans in a large bowl, pick out any debris, cover with at least 3 inches of cold water, and leave them on the counter for 12 to 24 hours until they double in size.
Boil the beans gently until tender.
Drain the soaked beans, cover with 2 inches of fresh cold water in a heavy pot, and bring to a boil. Skim off any white foam, drop the heat to a lazy simmer, and cook uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes until tender but perfectly intact. Do not add salt during this phase, as it hardens the skins.
Reserve the starchy bean broth.
When the beans are tender, drain them but save at least 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid, known as the zoumi. If doing this days ahead, store the beans in the fridge submerged in this liquid.
Ingredients
- dried Greek gigantes, Royal Corona, or large dried lima beans1 lb
- extra virgin olive oil1/2 cup
- yellow onion1 large
- garlic cloves4 large
- carrots2 med
- celery stalks with leafy tops2 med
- tomato paste2 tbsp
- crushed tomatoes28 oz
- granulated sugar1 tsp
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1/2 cup
- fresh dill1/4 cup
- dried oregano1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- 02
Build the sofrito base in a wide skillet.
Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat, add the onion, and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until sweet and completely translucent. Stir in the carrots and celery to soften for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 1 minute until the paste darkens and smells deeply savory.
- 03
Simmer the tomato sauce.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Let it bubble low for 10 minutes to marry the flavors, then turn off the heat and stir in the fresh parsley and dill.
- 04
Assemble the plaki in a baking dish.
Pour your boiled beans into a 9x13 inch ceramic or glass baking dish, cover them evenly with the hot tomato sauce, and add 1 cup of the reserved starchy bean broth and the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Gently toss everything together so the beans are fully bathing in the liquid.
- 05
Bake until honeyed and caramelized.
Bake uncovered on the middle rack for 45 to 60 minutes, gently stirring halfway through to prevent the top beans from drying out. The dish is ready when the liquid reduces to a thick, glistening sauce and the beans take on deeply browned, crusty edges. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving with a block of feta and crusty peasant bread.
Notes
Respect the olive oil.
This is a ladera dish, meaning it is meant to be cooked generously in oil. Do not skimp on it; the oil is a primary flavoring agent meant to emulsify the sauce and pool beautifully at the edges for bread dipping.
Need a weeknight shortcut? Use a pressure cooker.
If you forgot to soak the beans the night before, cover unsoaked beans with 2 inches of water in an electric pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 30 to 35 minutes, followed by a natural release. Drain, save the broth, and proceed right to the sauce.
From Cook Greek in America.