Giant Beans with Wine Sausages
2013, August, Kofinou. For years, I spent my summer holidays at our restaurant in Kofinou. My mother needed help, and I never refused her. So, on one of those hot August days, Dana, my mother's assistant from Romania, comes to me and tells me about a dish they make in her country that her husband absolutely loves. What is it? I ask her, puzzled. Giant beans with sausage, she replies. Suddenly, a regular customer from Pitsilia joins our conversation. He excitedly informs us that this dish is made in his region, which is famous for its sausages. Both of them, each in their own way, convince me to add this dish to the menu. Since then, I cook giant beans with 2-3 'teratsia' (pieces) of sausage.
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 package (500g) giant beans
- ⅓ cup (85ml) olive oil
- 2 cups (270g) dry onions, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic (20g), finely chopped
- 2 cups (300g) carrots, halved and sliced or diced
- 1 cup (130g) celery stalks (selleria), cut into thick slices
- 2 wine sausages (250g), cut into rounds
- 1 tbsp + 2 heaped teaspoons (70g) tomato paste
- 1 cup (40g) finely chopped parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons (12g) salt
- ½ teaspoon (1g) freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 liters (12 cups) hot water
METHOD
- Place the beans in a large glass bowl and cover them with plenty of cold tap water, about 2-3 cm above the surface. Let them soak for 12 - 24 hours. The next day, drain them, rinse them, strain them well, and put them in a pot. Add plenty of tap water to cover them by 2 fingers' width and place them on the heat. When the water boils, let them boil for 3 - 4 minutes and then drain them.
- Return them to the pot and add 3 liters (12 cups) of boiling water. Let the dish come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 1 - 1 ½ hours or until the giant beans are tender. If foam forms, skim it off. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan/convection). In a frying pan, add the olive oil and sauté the onions until they become translucent.
- Add the garlic and continue sautéing for 30 seconds. Add the carrots and celery stalks. Sauté and then add the sausages. Let them cook for 4 - 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, then the parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the sautéed ingredients into the pot with the giant beans, add the bay leaves, and stir. Transfer the dish, along with its cooking liquid, into a round baking dish (34 cm). Cover with parchment paper and aluminum foil, and bake the dish in the preheated oven for 1 ½ hours.
- Remove the covering and continue baking for another 30 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Serve, drizzling with a little olive oil.
