Cretan Bean Stew Recipe
Stelios wrote an interesting article for our newsletter explaining the importance of being able to grow varieties he really enjoys eating. Since then we've been asked about a suitable recipe of cooking beans 'Cretan style.. This is what Stellios has to say:
I shall try to set out some guidance as to how one might try to produce a dish with Cretan beans. However, very much depends on the availability of fresh ingredients, such as Cretan beans, juicy mature tomatoes and the taste of the "chef" in charge of the cooking process.
Cretan beans
Cretan beans, onions, potatoes and tomatoes simmered until tender. These are called vegetarian "Fasolakia" in Greek.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
50 ml of extra virgin olive oil
125 gr of chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic, chpped
0.5 kg fresh Cretan beans, trimmed and rinsed, as required.
2 large tomatoes, chopped (or say 200 gr. of chopped tomatoes)
4-6 small peeled potatoes.
A tiny amount of chilli flakes and pepper to your taste
A small amount of parsley, chopped (this item to be added near the end of the cooking process).
Method
Prep:15 min Cook:60 min Ready in 75 min approx.
Heat the olive oil in a medium size pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the onions and garlic in the pot until tender.
Then insert the Cretan beans in installments, each installment to be lightly treated by the simmering olive oil.
Only then add all (except the parsley) the remaining ingredients, that is tomatoes, potatoes, chilli and pepper into the pot and add some little water to keep the contents of the pot liquid. Reduce heat to low, after reaching a simmering point,
This first part of the cooking process requires almost constant attention by the cook.
You should allow the food to simmer for 45 minutes, or until beans and potatoes are soft (to your taste).
Five minutes before turning the heat off please add the parsley on top of the mix.
I shall try to set out some guidance as to how one might try to produce a dish with Cretan beans. However, very much depends on the availability of fresh ingredients, such as Cretan beans, juicy mature tomatoes and the taste of the "chef" in charge of the cooking process.
Cretan beans
Cretan beans, onions, potatoes and tomatoes simmered until tender. These are called vegetarian "Fasolakia" in Greek.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
50 ml of extra virgin olive oil
125 gr of chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic, chpped
0.5 kg fresh Cretan beans, trimmed and rinsed, as required.
2 large tomatoes, chopped (or say 200 gr. of chopped tomatoes)
4-6 small peeled potatoes.
A tiny amount of chilli flakes and pepper to your taste
A small amount of parsley, chopped (this item to be added near the end of the cooking process).
Method
Prep:15 min Cook:60 min Ready in 75 min approx.
Heat the olive oil in a medium size pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the onions and garlic in the pot until tender.
Then insert the Cretan beans in installments, each installment to be lightly treated by the simmering olive oil.
Only then add all (except the parsley) the remaining ingredients, that is tomatoes, potatoes, chilli and pepper into the pot and add some little water to keep the contents of the pot liquid. Reduce heat to low, after reaching a simmering point,
This first part of the cooking process requires almost constant attention by the cook.
You should allow the food to simmer for 45 minutes, or until beans and potatoes are soft (to your taste).
Five minutes before turning the heat off please add the parsley on top of the mix.
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Additional Notes:
Now, fresh beans widely available in Scotland are probably the runner beans.
The pods of the runner beans are usually harder, though, and if big ones one should probably have to cut them into smaller parts (e.g. 5 cm).
We would not add any sugar or salt, while most people do that. Also we would commence the cooking process by utilising a small amount of extra virgin olive oil for processing the onions and garlic. That is only an amount which would be sufficient to allow the onions and garlic to be lightly cooked with the olive oil and then also the beans to be lightly treated. The balance and bulk of the extra virgin olive oil we usually add raw on each individual dish, when serving at the table.
In a Greek approach you may use some good quality wholemeal organic bread, e.g. Cranks, for moping the sauce and juice of the meal!!!!
Feta cheese, as a side dish, provides all the salt we need for our meal and this dish goes very well with it.
Stelios Deverakis