Gigantes Stew Recipes

GIGANTES (GREEK LIMA BEANS)

Steps:

• Place the lima beans in a large saucepan. Pour enough water to fill to 2 inches above top of the beans. Allow to soak overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place the saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes; drain. Pour the beans into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Add the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, and dill; stir.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water if the mixture appears dry.

GIGANTES WITH TOMATOES AND GREENS

Steps:

• Drain the beans, cover with fresh water and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 1½-2 hours until the beans are just tender.
• Gently soften the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil for 5 minutes. When soft, stir in the paprika, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, 100ml/3½fl oz water, salt and pepper.
• Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Stir in the chard and take off the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
• When the beans are cooked, drain them and mix with the tomato and chard sauce, adding a further 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the chopped herbs.
• Transfer the beans to a casserole pan, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and bake for 35-40 minutes until the beans are tender and the sauce thickened and bubbling. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

GIANT BUTTER BEAN STEW

Steps:

• Drain the canned beans, reserving 200ml of the liquid. Heat the oil in a large flameproof lidded casserole dish, and cook the onions, carrots and celery until tender and the onions are soft and transparent, but not coloured. Stir in the remaining ingredients, reserving half of the chopped herbs and feta (if using).
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cook over a gentle heat for a further 5 mins, then pour over the reserved liquid. Cover the dish and bake in the oven for 40 mins. Check occasionally that the beans are not drying out - add a little more water if needed.
• Remove the lid and bake for 10 mins more. Can be made 2 days ahead and reheated. Stir through the reserved chopped herbs, season to taste, then crumble over the remaining feta just before serving.

GIGANTES PLAKI

Steps:

• Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water. Drain, rinse, then place in a pan covered with water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, then simmer for approx 50 mins until slightly tender but not soft. Drain, then set aside.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, tip in the onion and garlic, then cook over a medium heat for 10 mins until softened but not browned. Add the tomato purée, cook for a further min, add remaining ingredients, then simmer for 2-3 mins. Season generously, then stir in the beans. Tip into a large ovenproof dish, then bake for approximately 1 hr, uncovered and without stirring, until the beans are tender. The beans will absorb all the fabulous flavours and the sauce will thicken. Allow to cool, then scatter with parsley and drizzle with a little more olive oil to serve.

GIGANTES STEW

Steps:

• 1) Place 1 pound dried gigantes beans in a heavy saucepan and cover with water by 2 inches and let soak overnight. 2) Preheat oven to 300 and prepare tomatoes while beans are cooking in the next step. 3) Drain beans and rinse out pan. Replace beans in the pan, cover with water by 1 inch and bring to a gentle boil. Cut 2 celery ribs and one peeled onion into chunks and add to the pot. Cook low and slow until beans are tender about 1 to 2 hours. Discard the celery and onion. Drain the beans, reserving all of the cooking liquid 4) While beans are cooking, cut 1 pint cherry tomatoes into half and place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil. Add 1 spring fresh thyme; 2 garlic cloves, sliced; 1 teaspoon sugar and black pepper. Place in oven and bake until the tomatoes collapse, about 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. 5) Put 1 Tablespoon oil into a heavy pot and heat. Add 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 1 small red onion, chopped. Saute until they are caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Add the 8 oz kale (chopped if not using baby kale). When kale is wilted, add in the beans and enough of their cooking liquid to make a stew consistency. Taste and season as needed. 6) Chop the bunch of dill and add half to the beans along with the tomatoes. 7) In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon honey, the juice of one lemon and 1/4 cup olive oil. Whisk until emulsified. 8) Plate the stew into shallow bowls, drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with a little more dill.

GIGANTES

Steps:

• Add the beans to a pot with enough cold water to cover well. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until just soft throughout but not quite cooked, approximately 50 to 80 minutes, depending on the beans. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their liquid, 2 cups water, honey, cloves, salt, and pepper and boil gently for 20 to 30 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Stir in the parsley and remove from heat.
• Place the beans in an oven-proof dish, pour tomato mixture on top, stir and spread mixture out evenly. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are soft. (Check the dish during cooking and if needed, add a small amount of boiling water.) The dish will look crispy on top. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature.