Gigantes Plaki

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200°C. Finely dice the onion and celery, mince the garlic, and chop the dill and parsley so everything is ready before you start the sauce.

   150 g onion, finely diced100 g celery stalks, finely diced12 g garlic cloves, minced15 g fresh dill, chopped10 g fresh parsley, chopped
2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet or shallow baking dish set over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden; this slow sweating builds sweetness without browning too hard.

   45 ml olive oil150 g onion, finely diced100 g celery stalks, finely diced
3. 3

   Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant and slightly darkened. Briefly frying the paste removes its raw taste and deepens the sauce.

   12 g garlic cloves, minced15 g tomato paste
4. 4

   Stir in the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper, and hot water. Bring to a brisk simmer and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened but still loose enough to bake with the beans.

   400 g crushed tomatoes1 bay leaf1 tsp dried oregano5 g fine sea salt1 g freshly ground black pepper120 ml hot water
5. 5

   Fold in the cooked gigante beans gently so they stay whole and well coated. Simmer for 2 minutes just to heat them through.

   480 g cooked gigante beans, drained
6. 6

   Transfer to the oven if your pan is not already ovenproof. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, until the top is lightly caramelized and the sauce has thickened around the beans but is not dry. The beans should be creamy inside and the surface should show patches of concentrated tomato.

7. 7

   Remove the bay leaf. Rest for 5 minutes so the sauce settles and clings to the beans. Stir in most of the dill, parsley, and lemon juice, reserving a little herb for the top.

   15 g fresh dill, chopped10 g fresh parsley, chopped10 ml lemon juice
8. 8

   Spoon into warm bowls or plates, scatter over the remaining herbs, and serve warm with bread or a simple salad if you like.

Origin & History

Gigantes Plaki is a classic Greek oven-baked bean dish, especially associated with home cooking and tavernas. The name refers to large white beans baked in a tomato and olive oil sauce, a style of cooking known as plaki. It reflects the Greek love of ladera dishes, where vegetables or legumes are cooked generously with olive oil.