Giant beans with tomatoes and Smoked Mackerel

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Giant beans with tomatoes and Smoked Mackerel & Pumpkin & chestnut soup
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Giant beans with tomatoes and Smoked Mackerel & Pumpkin & chestnut soup

Recipe by Marianna LeivaditakiCourse: MainCuisine: Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean
Servings

4-6

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

40

minutes
Total time

2

hours 

A delicious stew, that can be eaten hot or cold and will have everyone asking for seconds. I love the rich mouthfuls of the beans and the flavours of the tomato and herbs.  I usually like them with smoked fish but they are also delicious as a vegetarian meal.

Ingredients

  • 350g dried giant beans (also known as butter or elephant beans) 


  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled but kept 
whole

  • 2 medium white onions, diced

  • 1kg red ripe tomatoes, chopped

  • 4 carrots, diced

  • 4 bay leaves

  • 3 rosemary sprigs, leaves 
chopped finely

  • 500g smoked mackerel fillets or any other fish you like

  • 200ml white wine

  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 handful of parsley, chopped

  • 1 handful of dill, chopped

Directions

  • Soak the beans overnight in lots of water
  • The following day, drain and place them in a large pot with fresh water and begin to cook them. Bring the beans to
 the boil and add the garlic, onions, tomatoes, carrots, bay and rosemary to the pot. Cook over a medium heat for about 30 minutes. Add the wine and continue cooking for about 1 more hour. The beans should begin to soften and some of them will break up, making the beans quite creamy. When you are happy with the textures, add the olive oil, parsley and dill to the pot, give it a stir and turn the heat off. Let the beans sit for a while before serving.
  • Serve with a fillet of warm smoked mackerel over the top and a nice wedge of fresh lemon for juicing at the table.
  • This dish will only get better with time, so any leftovers will be perfect for the next couple of days.