Recipe: Macedonian Lima Beans

MACEDONIAN LIMA BEANS
Source: The Bean Harvest Cookbook by Ashley Miller
Makes 6 servings as a main dish, 8 as a side dish

Note from source: Ask anyone who has ever taught English as a second language, and they'll wax poetic about the class potluck dinners. That's where the author got this extraordinary recipe, which comes from Sonia, an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia. Meaning literally "clay pot in the fire," Tavche na Gracet is made of layers of lima beans, prunes and onions that caramelize to a savory sweetness in the oven. "As simple as it is delicious, it's easy to see why this dish has been around for centuries," Ms. Miller writes. "Traditionally, this dish is eaten with a chunk of thick peasant bread. I serve it with a green salad, a glass of red wine, and dreams of the Adriatic."

2 1/2 cups large dried lima beans
6 cups water
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
4 cups sliced onions
3 cups reserved bean stock
1 1/2 cups sliced pitted prunes
3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
3 tablespoons chopped fresh or dried dill
9 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the lima beans in a soup pot, fill the pot with enough water to cover the beans, and simmer 5 minutes. Drain and refill with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, or until the beans are tender but not fully cooked.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

While the beans simmer, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over low heat. When hot, add the onions and saute until soft and translucent.

When the beans are done, drain them, reserving 3 cups of the liquid.

Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a deep-sided, 3-quart baking dish. In the dish, layer one-third of the lima beans, onions, prunes, paprika, dill and bay leaves. Generously salt and pepper the layer and drizzle on one-third of the remaining oil. Repeat this process, making 2 more layers. Pour the reserved bean stock over the top of the casserole to moisten it. There should be enough liquid to almost cover the beans. Add more water if necessary and bake, covered, 50 to 60 minutes.

The beans are done when they are moist and succulent in a thickened, rich sauce. If the sauce is too thin, remove the cover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more.