Handling dried gigantes?

[ssherie_]

I’m a huge fan of gigantes plaki and other dishes that use these giant beans. I am really struggling with the dried ones.

No matter how long I soak or boil them, they never seem to get quite soft enough. I’ve tried overnight soaking, longer cooking times, even baking soda in the soak water. Still hit-or-miss results. Sometimes they split before they soften, or the skins get tough.

I know canned gigantes exist, but I’d love to master the dried kind, especially for homemade plaki where texture really matters.

Any tips? Is there a soaking method or cooking trick that’s worked well for you? I am considering trying to get them soft in a pressure cooker, maybe that will help?

 

[k_tsoukalas]

I feel your pain, gigantes can be tricky! The texture is everything in plaki, and dried ones can be stubborn. A few things that have worked for me:

First, make sure your beans aren’t too old. Even well-stored dried beans can get tough over time. For soaking, I cover them in plenty of water with a pinch of baking soda, but only for 8–10 hours max, any longer and the skins toughen or the beans split. After draining and rinsing, I bring them to a boil in fresh water, skim the foam, and simmer gently until tender—usually 1.5–2 hours.

That said, my best results come from using a pressure cooker, about 25–30 minutes on high with a natural release. They come out creamy and intact every time.

Final trick: don’t salt until they’re soft, salt can toughen skins. Once they’re ready, I bake them in the plaki sauce until bubbling. Worth the effort, so good!