Briam

Briam (Greek Mixed Vegetable Bake)

A rustic Greek bake of layered summer and root vegetables, slowly roasted with tomato, garlic, herbs and plenty of olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread to mop up the pan juices.

Prep

30 min

Cook

90 min

Total

120 min

Serves

4-6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) potatoes, waxy or all-purpose, sliced 5 mm (¼ inch) thick
• •300 g (10½ oz) courgettes (zucchini), sliced 5 mm (¼ inch) thick
• •250 g (9 oz) aubergine (eggplant), sliced 5 mm (¼ inch) thick; no need to salt if using a young, thin-skinned one
• •200 g (7 oz) carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• •300 g (10½ oz) ripe tomatoes, or 400 g / 14 oz tinned chopped tomatoes
• •2 medium onions, thinly sliced into rings
• •4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• •120 ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for drizzling
• •30 g (1 oz) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• •2 tsp dried oregano, Greek oregano if possible
• •1 tsp sugar, optional, only if tomatoes are very acidic
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) water, or vegetable stock
• •salt and black pepper, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Heat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F / gas mark 4). Lightly oil a wide, shallow baking dish or roasting tin (about 24 x 34 cm / 9 x 13 in).
2. 2 Spread the onion slices over the base of the dish and scatter over the garlic.
3. 3 Layer the potato, aubergine, carrot and courgette slices over the onions, overlapping them slightly like roof tiles. Season each layer lightly with salt and pepper as you go.
4. 4 Grate or finely chop half the tomatoes and spread them over the vegetables (or use tinned chopped tomatoes). Slice the remaining fresh tomatoes and arrange the slices on top.
5. 5 Scatter over the parsley and oregano. Drizzle evenly with the olive oil - be generous; this is what makes briam. Add the sugar if your tomatoes are sharp.
6. 6 Pour the water down the side of the dish (not over the top, so you don't wash off the oil). Cover tightly with foil.
7. 7 Bake covered for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, spoon some of the pan juices back over the vegetables, and bake uncovered for a further 35-45 minutes.
8. 8 The briam is done when the potatoes and carrots are completely tender when pierced with a knife, the edges are lightly browned, and the oil has separated and is bubbling at the edges of the pan. Total baking time: about 80-90 minutes.
9. 9 Rest for 10 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread to mop up the juices.