Briam

Briam

Briam is a true celebration of summer vegetables, served in the classic Mediterranean style. One of the most cherished Greek summer dishes, briam is a simple, humble recipe, full of goodness and flavour. Seasonal vegetables are mixed with tomato, olive oil and a few herbs and then slowly roasted in the oven until everything is caramelised and succulent. So easy to prepare, you can have it in the oven in a matter of minutes. Preferably served at room temperature, or even chilled on a hot day, with some fresh bread and some plant based cheese.

Ingredients

8-10 pomodoro or vine tomatoes

4 medium aubergines, chopped

4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 medium courgettes, chopped

3 red onions, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

250ml passata

250ml water

3tbsp olive oil

1tbsp vegetable stock powder

1tsp dried oregano

1tsp onion powder

1tbsp sugar

Salt & pepper to taste

A small bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

A drizzle of vinegar

Method

Preheat the oven at 180C.

Wash all the vegetables, peel the potatoes and the onions and roughly chop everything.

Aim to chop the potatoes and the onions a bit smaller than the rest. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.

Place in a large roasting tin.

Pour the passata, the water and the olive oil over the vegetables. Sprinkle the vegetable stock powder, the oregano, the onion powder, the sugar and add salt and pepper to taste.

Using your hands, mix everything thoroughly and cover well with a piece of dampened parchment paper. Place in the middle of the oven and roast for an hour and a half. Take the briam out of the oven and using a large spoon or spatula, stir it well, then continue to cook for a further hour. Remove the parchment paper, add the parsley and a few drops of vinegar, mix once more and continue to roast for a further half an hour. Allow to cool completely before serving. Add another pinch of chopped parsley and some freshly ground black pepper and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

This is a versatile dish that can be served as a main, or as a side. You could also use it as a sauce over pasta or rice.

You can use any vegetables you have on hand, including peppers, carrots and leeks. The potatoes, onions, aubergines and courgettes, are highly recommended though, as they elevate texture and taste.

Be patient and cook the briam slowly, so that it becomes soft, caramelised and delicious.

This is one of those dishes that actually taste better the next day. It keeps well in the fridge for a week.

The name “briam” is likely to have Turkish roots from the word “biryam” which means roasted food.