Prebranac

The story

Beans are believed to have reached the Balkans with the Ottoman Turks, and in Serbia they became so ordinary that the phrase "prosto kao pasulj," simple as beans, means as easy as pie. Pasulj, the everyday bean pot, is cooked through the winter months, often with smoked meat. Prebranac is its baked relative: large white beans layered with a heap of onions fried slowly in oil and colored with sweet paprika, then baked until the liquid is nearly gone and the top turns brown. In North Macedonia a similar bean casserole is called tavče gravče. Because prebranac needs no meat, it is a standard main course on Orthodox fast days, when observant Serbs avoid meat. The cook behind the food blog The Balkan Hostess writes that her grandmother makes it for the family's lenten slava, most often with beans from her own garden saved for that day. In 2027, Orthodox Great Lent begins on Clean Monday, March 15. The Belgrade daily Večernje novosti recommends letting it rest a day in the refrigerator and serving it at room temperature, not cold. Serve it with crusty bread and a bowl of pickled peppers, or, on days without a fast, with smoked sausage on the side.