Gigantes Plaki

Grouchy

I'm wondering if anyone has an ideas or perhaps someone who is good at Greek cooking can help.

I've tried various recipes for this Greek dish from bbcgoodfood to olivemagazine and also websites that purport to be authentic greek cooking.  It's a great dish and economical.  However none of these recipes I've tried actually recreate what I've tasted in Greece, there is something critical missing! and I can't figure it out.  The only obvious ingredient that I've not added - and which appears in some Greek recipes - is cinnamon stick or dill.  Dill is definitely not the flavour that is missing, I'm not fond of it anywat.  Not sure the cinnamon is the missing ingredient either but I will try that next time.

Does someone have an authentic Greek recipe that varies from the obvious web search ones as above which are all very very similar? 

Thank you.

goldfinches

I had a look at my copy of Claudia Roden's Mediterranean Cookery and compared her ingredients to the bbc and olive recipes and although they're all very similar I think your missing ingredient might be bay leaves.
CR's ingredients are 500g dried butter beans, 1 large onion finely chopped, 2-3 tbsp olive oil, 2 garlic cloves finely chopped (optional), 1kg ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped, 1 tsp thyme or oregano, 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper, 2 tsp sugar or to taste, juice of half a lemon, 1 tbsp dried mint, small bunch of parsley finely chopped.
Her method is very different from either the bbc or olive so in case you find it helpful here it is.
Serves 6 or more.
Soak the beans in water to cover for about 4 hours. (The skins will split but do not worry.) Fry the onions in oil till golden. Add the garlic, if using, and when it begins to colour add the tomatoes and the drained beans with a little thyme or oregano and bay leaves. Barely cover with water and simmer gently until the beans begin to soften, then add salt and pepper, sugar, lemon juice and mint, and cook until they are very tender. this can take less than an hour or much longer depending on the quality of the beans. Be careful not to overcook or they fall apart. Add parsley towards the end of the cooking. Serve at room temperature. This dish keeps well for several days.

Best of luck and happy eating.

YoungBlueEyes

Gawd that sounds bloody lovely. 

I’ll get some butter beans when I’m out today! 

Greying_Pilgrim

I immediately thought of Jack Monroe when you mentioned Gigantes Plaki, as she made it in her original cookbook (I think) and is of Greek Cypriot heritage. 

Interestingly, whilst her recipe ingredients don't seem to differ much from those already mentioned, in the comments section, there is reference to 'baking the beans' once they have been simmered on the stove-top, and Jack mentions that this is indeed authentic, but is obviously an energy consumption issue (writing in 2013........).  I just wondered though, if the oven heat contributed to flavour 'concentration' as opposed to adding in any different or 'missing' flavours (although personally I would absolutely go with goldfinches addition of Bay, as I love it's flavour in tomato or dairy based sauces).

In the absence of being able to use the oven, I wonder if a spell in the slow cooker - or even a 'wonderbag' could be your friend here?   

Just a thought, feel free to ignore.

Greying X

London_1

Greying_Pilgrim reading through the recipe, I would think that a slow cooker would be ideal especially as its seems to be a fairly long cooking process.I must say it does sound nice, I've never had it but certainly would like to give it a go when the weather turns a bit cooler. I will have to dig out my Jack Monroe cook books for a nosey this afternoon I think. Would it freeze if portioned do you think as I live alone and would be eating it for a week  

JackieO xx

joedenise

JackieO - I can't see any reason why it wouldn't freeze in portions.  There's nothing in it which isn't freezable.  I absolutely agree that the slow cooker would be a good idea for cooking it, although I think I'd bring it to a boil before putting it in due to the dried beans.

Greying_Pilgrim

I concur with joedenise - I regularly freeze cooked beans with or without the sauce, and I think re-heating would assist in flavour concentration - much like frozen curries.  

London_1 - if you click on -> Gigantes Plaki it will take you to JM's cooking blog where the recipe is set out.  I think it appeared in her 'A girl called Jack' cookbook, which was the first one she wrote (which i'm sure you know).

Greying X

Ginmonster

London_1 said:

Greying_Pilgrim reading through the recipe, I would think that a slow cooker would be ideal especially as its seems to be a fairly long cooking process.I must say it does sound nice, I've never had it but certainly would like to give it a go when the weather turns a bit cooler. I will have to dig out my Jack Monroe cook books for a nosey this afternoon I think. Would it freeze if portioned do you think as I live alone and would be eating it for a week  

JackieO xx

I use Jack Monroe's recipe and usually double it up and freeze some as it's just as easy to make twice the amount and it freezes well. I do put more garlic in than she suggests though as she was trying to be as frugal as possible and I like garlic! It's one of my son's favourite meals served with pitta bread and salad and if we've got guests I can expand it out a bit with hummus and fried halloumi slices for a little mezze.

Grouchy

Thanks for all replies and that receipt goldfinches.  I think the lemon juice and bay leaves are a good possibility so will try that.

For me, cost notwithstanding though understandable these days,  baking the beans gives a good deep flavour, so I put it in the oven for about an hour to properly finish off in a shallow cast iron casserole (which is what I use throughout starting on the stove top).  As an aside, these kind of dishes often benefit from finishing off in the oven I find.

Yes you can portion and freeze, I use tupperware containers and it works well.  The beans also taste good the next day well reheated after ordinary fridge storage, perhaps a bit better.

You can also successfully use 3 tins of drained rinsed butter beans instead of starting from scratch with dry beans.  Adapt cooking times to softness of beans as these seem to vary greatly with brand.

A drizzle with good olive oil and a touch of lemon juice just before serving is nice though optional.

bouicca21

I’m bookmarking this to try when it is cooler.  I would do it in the slow cooker, after maybe a minute or two boiling.  How would one ‘finish’ it in the oven ? Temperature? Time?  

London_1

Thank you for the link I have bookmarked it and when I next go for a big shop (1st September) I will buy some butter beans etc and give it a go 

JackieO xx