Recipe: Gigantes in Savory Tomato Sauce (Γίγαντες Πλακί)

Birds singing, doves cooing, roosters crowing, engines revving, women chattering: the morning sounds of a Greek village.

When we’re in Greece, I treasure my last few minutes in bed listening to the village come alive. I force myself to get up just before the vendors start hawking their wares.

“Potatoes, onions! Good for storing.” The cries echo off stone-walled houses that line the narrow village streets. “Sardines, bream, octopus, squid. Very fresh fish!” When the fish man comes, I often grab money and run to catch him; the seafood comes from the surrounding Aegean Sea and is impeccably fresh.

Tinny music, the same song played repeatedly, heralds the arrival of gypsies who travel from island to island in large Mercedes trucks. “Shoes, shirts, sweaters, pants, socks, underwear,” the recording blares over and over and over as the truck drives slowly through the village.

The cries change from season to season: “Tablecloths, sheets, blankets.” “Rugs, beautiful rugs.” “Chairs, tables, good for your veranda, tables, chairs.” When the truck stops to complete a sale, the cries cease, but the music’s volume rises. If the sale is to one of our neighbors, the blasting music reverberates through our house.

Some truck vendors don’t bother wending their way through narrow village streets, and set up shop in a square or by the side of the road. Some of these vendors are local islanders, but most come from northern Greece on the ferries that connect the island to Thessaloniki, Kavala, and Alexandroupoli.

In fall, I seek out bean vendors from Greece’s northern border, who sell many varieties of dried legumes. Beans need plenty of water to thrive, a resource rare on Greece’s rocky islands, but plentiful in its remote northern upland regions.

The beans I’m searching for are called gigantes (γίγαντες, pronounced YEE-gahn-tess) or elephantes, meaning “giant” or “elephant” beans. Gigantes are large white kidney-shaped beans, belonging to the species Phaseolus coccineus (multiflorus); scarlet runner beans also belong to this species. (Gigantes are sometimes mistakenly referred to as lima beans, butter beans, white kidney beans, Phaseolus vulgaris, Phaseolus lunatus, or Phaseolus limensis.)

1. Dried Navy Beans 2. Dried Gigantes 3. Soaked Gigantes 4. Cooked Gigantes

The only difference between gigantes and elephantes is size; 1000 gigantes weigh between 1200 and 1800 grams, while 1000 elephantes weigh more than 1800 grams.

Gigantes and elephantes from the Kastoria, Florina, and Drama regions of Greece are recognized by the European Union as products of Protected Geographic Indication (PGI). Like French appellations for wine, PGI designations identify foods grown in unique regions that have special qualities and characteristics worthy of appreciation and protection.

Every fall I buy enough gigantes to last until the next harvest season. This past year, my gigantes came from Kastoria. Gigantes have been grown in Kastoria for 300 years; the geography, soil, and climate create perfect conditions for their growth. Kastoria gigantes are harvested by hand beginning in September, and dried in the sun before being shelled.

Gigantes in tomato sauce (Gigantes Plaki - Γίγαντες Πλακί) is a wildly popular item in homes and tavernas across Greece. It is typically served as part of the Greek appetizer course called mezedes (μεζέδες). Gigantes are also tasty when boiled and dressed simply with olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and salt for a salad, or pureed with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt for a wonderful bean skordalia.

Gigantes are available at Greek and Middle Eastern markets, and from many internet sellers, including Amazon.

Gigantes in Savory Tomato Sauce (Γίγαντες Πλακί)
Serves 6 - 8
Gigantes are meaty, and have crisp skin and velvety flesh. To reconstitute them properly, gigantes must be soaked overnight, then boiled until tender, and finally baked in a sauce. If you skip any of these steps, gigantes don’t cook evenly, and can be mealy. Adjust the amount of Aleppo or crushed red pepper to suit your taste for spicy food. Only 4 Tbsp. of tomato paste are necessary for this dish. However, in the US, tomato paste is sold only in 8 ounce (8 Tbsp.) cans; to avoid waste I use the entire can and add extra bean cooking water to compensate.

The length of cooking time differs depending on the freshness of the beans. Because they have been soaked, the beans take less time to cook than one might think. Freshly picked beans are tender after boiling for 30 – 40 minutes. Older beans can take up to an hour. I test the beans after 30 minutes and then in 5 or 10 minute increments. You should stop cooking the beans as soon as they are tender; you don’t want to cook them so long the skins split or the beans become mushy.

2 1/4 cups (1 pound) gigantes
3 bay leaves
4 cups diced onion, 1/4” dice
1 cup diced celery, 1/4” dice
1 cup diced carrots, 1/4” dice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 Tbsp. dried thyme, crushed
1 - 2 tsp. Aleppo pepper, or 1/2 – 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups (or one 14.5 ounce can) diced tomatoes and their juices
4 – 8 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 – 4 cups bean cooking water
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup minced parsley

Place the beans in a large pot, cover them with water, and let soak overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Return them to the pot; add the bay leaves and enough water to cover the beans by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat to medium low, and cook the beans for 30 – 60 minutes (see headnote), just until the flesh is tender. Drain the beans, reserving the bay leaves and 4 cups of bean cooking water to use in the tomato sauce.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and oil a 13” x 9” baking pan.

Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until the onions soften and begin to turn golden. Stir in the garlic, oregano, thyme, and Aleppo pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, reserved bean cooking water, reserved bay leaves, and sugar. Bring the sauce to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer the sauce for 20 – 30 minutes, or until it thickens and the flavors blend. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed.
Stir the cooked beans and parsley into the tomato sauce. Pour the mix into the oiled baking pan, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the beans from the oven, stir in 1 cup bean cooking water, and bake for an additional 30 – 45 minutes, or until the sauce is rich and thick.

Serve hot or at room temperature. If making the beans ahead to serve the next day or after, stir the remaining cup of bean cooking water into the sauce after removing the beans from the oven the final time.
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This is my entry for My Legume Love Affair created and hosted by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook