Baked Beans in a Clay Pan (Tavče Gravče)
Тавче гравче Tavče gravčeSay it: TAV-cheh GRAV-cheh
This is the dish that turns up on Macedonian tables from everyday lunches to Orthodox fasting spreads, and it arrives in the pan it was baked in. Big white beans go soft and creamy underneath while the exposed top dries into a savoury, paprika-stained crust, and the sauce clings rather than runs. The one thing it asks of you is time: an overnight soak, a gentle simmer, then a long uncovered bake. Serve it warm, not hot, with bread for scooping.
Baked Beans in a Clay Pan (Tavče Gravče)
Тавче гравче, Tavče gravče
Pronounced TAV-cheh GRAV-cheh
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 2 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 40 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: none of the major allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Method
Drain the soaked beans, tip them into a large pot and add fresh water to cover by roughly 2 inches (5 cm). Bring to a boil and skim the foam from the surface. Turn the heat down, set the lid on partly, and simmer until the beans are tender but still intact, 45–60 minutes. Pour off the liquid through a colander, saving the cooking water.
While the beans cook, if you are using dried red peppers, drop them into a small bowl of hot water and leave them to soften for 15 minutes. Warm the 3 tablespoons of oil in a wide skillet over medium heat, add the onions and carrot, and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and starting to colour, 8–10 minutes. Drain the dried peppers, remove their stems, chop them (or use the chopped fresh bell pepper), and add them to the skillet with the garlic; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the paprika, hot pepper flakes, mint, salt and black pepper, stir for 30 seconds so the spices open up in the oil, then take the pan off the heat.
Set the oven to 400°F (200°C). Use a shallow clay baking dish (tavče) about 9 inches (23 cm) across, or a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish.
Put the cooked beans in a large bowl and fold in the onion and pepper mixture. Add 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the saved bean cooking water, plus a splash more if the mixture seems dry — it should be thick and moist rather than loose. Taste, adjust the salt, then spread everything evenly in the baking dish and drizzle the surface with a little extra oil.
Bake uncovered until the top is patchily browned and crusty, the sides are bubbling and most of the liquid has been taken up, 35–45 minutes. Leave it alone while it bakes — no stirring.
Set the dish aside for 10 minutes before serving, then scatter over the parsley and bring it to the table warm.
Regional variant: Tavče gravče so kolbasi (тавче гравче со колбаси)
Slice 1 lb (450 g) smoked sausage or sujuk into thick rounds and brown them in a dry skillet over medium heat, then lift them out. Cook the onion and carrot in the same pan using the rendered fat plus 1 tablespoon of oil instead of the 3 tablespoons of oil. Fold the browned sausage through the bean mixture before baking, lay a few extra slices over the top, and go lighter on the added salt since the sausage is already salty.
Cook's notes
- An overnight soak cuts down the simmering and helps the beans stay whole. In a hurry, swap in 3 (15-oz/425-g) cans of cannellini or gigantes beans, drained and rinsed, skip the simmering, and use vegetable stock in place of the 1/2 cup of cooking water.
- A real clay tavče gives the crispest top, but any shallow ovenproof dish does the job — deep pots trap the moisture and the surface never dries out properly.
- Once the dish goes into the oven, leave it unstirred, and give it those 10 minutes of rest afterwards so the crust holds together when you serve.
Serve with
Bring it to the table warm with crusty bread, a salad of tomatoes and onions, and some ajvar or pickled chilies on the side.
Make ahead and storage
It holds in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days; warm it back up in a pan or a 350°F (175°C) oven with a splash of water.
