serves 6 to 8
So many giant bean casseroles are basically beans cooked in tomato sauce with varying additions of vegetables, herbs, and spices. I love this dish from the Prespes Lakes region because it speaks to the regional importance of Florina peppers and to the importance of peppers in general up there. In the early fall, to this day, gardeners and farmers thread the range of peppers they grow on strings and hang them to dry like garlands outside their homes. You can use Florina peppers in brine for this dish, which are available in Greek shops, but you can also use any one of a number of fleshy sweet red peppers or bell peppers and roast them yourself before adding them to the beans. As for the feta … it makes everything taste better! Note that the beans need to soak for at least 8 hours, so plan ahead.
1 pound (450 g) dried Greek gigantes beans, picked over for debris and rinsed
8 roasted red Florina peppers in brine, drained, or 8 red bell or sweet pimiento peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded
2 large red onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
3 large bay leaves
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste
⅔ cup (160 ml) extra-virgin Greek olive oil, plus more for drizzling, if desired
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (25 g) chopped fresh oregano
1½ cups (225 g) crumbled Greek feta
Put the beans in a large bowl, add cold water to cover, and set aside at room temperature to soak for at least 8 hours or up to overnight. Drain and place in a large pot. Add cold water to cover by 3 inches (7.5 cm). Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 1½ hours, or until the beans are tender but al dente. Remove from the heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the beans from their cooking liquid to a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) glass or ceramic baking dish, reserving the cooking liquid, which will be needed for baking the beans.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
Coarsely chop the roasted red peppers and add them to the baking dish, along with the onions, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, vinegar, and olive oil. Stir to combine. Add enough of the bean cooking liquid to come just flush with the surface of the ingredients. Cover with parchment paper, then with aluminum foil (or with the lid, if the baking dish has one), and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the beans are tender.
Remove the cover, season to taste with salt and pepper, and gently stir in the oregano and feta. (If there is a lot of excess liquid in the pan when you uncover it, you can remove some with a ladle or cook the beans until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the salt, pepper, oregano and feta after the liquid has either been spooned or cooked off.) Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the feta has melted, about 10 minutes.
Let the beans cool slightly before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional vinegar, if needed, drizzle with olive oil as desired, and serve.
