Taverna-Style Greek Gigantes
As many of my close friends in Athens know, I have a borderline obsession with gigantes.
My favorite taverna in Athens makes gigantes that I can only describe as 'pillows of perfection,' which I usually eat within my first 48 hours of arriving. The beans are amazingly tender, and the sauce is warming and heavy enough to feel like comfort food but vegetable-centric enough that it feels like a healthy indulgence.
A year or two ago I finally made headway in becoming a regular at the taverna when I befriended one of the servers who, among the male-dominated staff, is young, female and English-speaking. In my broken Greek she helped me coax a verbally dictated, very nontechnical recipe-ish sort of description from the owner. When I returned to California, obviously having packed a giant bag of white beans in my luggage, I immediately got to work testing the tips that I was given through what felt like a sacred passing of bean oral history.
With practice, this recipe is what became of that interaction. Enjoy these with a dollop of whole-milk Greek yogurt and a side of crusty bread.
The cooking time depends on how well your oven regulates heat and freshness of the dried beans. If the beans are older, they will take longer. You're looking for tender, soft, buttery beans that hold their shape and are not falling apart, plus a thick sauce, and some of the beans on the top layer ending up a bit 'burnt' or extra baked from direct heat exposure. After the initial uncovered baking period, check periodically in 10-minute increments to test the beans' texture as needed.
This is an excellent recipe for meal prep: This can be made ahead and keeps for at least three to four days. It also freezes and reheats very well.
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