‘Greek cuisine: a love affair between taste and tradition’
This is a classic Greek recipe, consisting of giant beans baked in tomato sauce with plenty of herbs. It has a little bit of process to it, but it is well worth the investment.
First you cook the dried beans, then the sauce, then you combine and bake. This leads to deep layers of delish flavour.
I first discovered this version of the recipe from my friend Sotiris. Everything he cooks, is packed with flavour, so complex and so comforting. He understands how to layer flavours and make simple splendid food. Happy Birthday Chef, so lucky to be a taster of your food.
Ingredients
- 500g giant beans
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 sticks celery, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2bay leaves
- 1tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 400g canned tomatoes
- 300g water
- Lemon zest, one lemon
- 1 chicken bouillon cube, or vegetable stock
Method
- Soak the beans in a bowl full of water and a little salt for 12-24 hours. When ready, drain and rinse
- Transfer beans to a pot add water and heat. When the water comes to a boil bring down to a simmer and cook till soft, c. 1 hour. When ready, drain and set aside
- Place the same pot over a low medium heat, heat the oil and add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic with a pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes
- Add the cinnamon, bay leaves, sugar and tomato paste, mix well
- Add the chopped tomatoes, water, lemon zest, bouillon or stock and the beans
- Remove pot from the heat
- Transfer to an oven proof baking dish
- Cover with foil and cook for c. 1hour until the beans are ‘smiling’. They are ‘smiling’ when they are soft and starting to smell fragrant. Uncover the beans and cook till they are ‘happy’. They are happy when there is a crust on top.
- Mix in fresh herbs such as dill and parsley, just before serving.
