Tavče Gravče — Macedonian Clay-Pot Baked Beans

Finely chop the onions. Heat the sunflower oil in a wide skillet and cook the onions over medium heat, stirring occasionally. They should become truly brown, not just golden: their volume should shrink to one-third and the edges should darken. This step builds the dish’s sweetness and color.

Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle in the flour, and stir for 30 seconds. Add the sweet and hot paprika and stir until the oil turns deep red. Do not return the skillet to the heat; paprika burned in hot oil will give the whole dish a smoky, burnt taste that cannot be fixed.

Add the grated tomato, salt, and black pepper to the pepper and onion mixture. Stir in a ladleful of the reserved bean liquid and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour the mixture over the drained beans and stir gently so you do not crush them. Adjust the consistency with more bean liquid; the mixture should look soupy before baking because it will absorb liquid in the oven.

Pour the mixture into a wide, shallow clay pot or baking dish; do not use a deep pot. The crust forms on the surface, so a wider surface is better. Arrange the dried hot peppers and fresh mint leaves on top. Preheat the oven to 220°C / 430°F.

Bake the dish on the oven’s middle rack. The surface will bubble first, then darken and form a deep brown crust in spots. It is ready when the crust cracks under a spoon and the moist beans underneath are visible. Let it rest for 10 minutes after removing it from the oven, then serve hot.