Cycladic Briam (Κυκλαδίτικο Μπριάμ)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •round metal tapsi, 34cm, or 30 x 40cm roasting pan
• •box grater for fresh tomatoes
• •mandoline with hand guard, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven

   Heat the oven to 200C, or 180C fan. Choose a wide metal tapsi or roasting pan, about 30 x 40cm, so the vegetables sit in a generous layer rather than a deep pile.

2. 2

   Grate the tomatoes

   Cut the tomatoes in half and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater, pressing until only the skins remain in your hand. Stir the grated tomato with the garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil. It should look loose, red, and glossy.

3. 3

   Slice the vegetables

   Slice the zucchini, potatoes, and eggplant about 5mm thick. This is the step that decides briam. Thin slices cook at the same pace and collapse into each other; thick ones stay separate, and the potato will make you wait while the zucchini gives up too much water.

   A mandoline is useful here, but only with the guard. A sharp knife and a little patience are perfectly Greek.
4. 4

   Fill the tapsi

   Put the sliced vegetables and onions into the tapsi. Pour the tomato and oil mixture over them, then turn everything with your hands until each slice is coated. Spread the vegetables evenly, tucking the potatoes down into the juices. Add the water only if your tomatoes are dry.

5. 5

   Bake covered

   Cover the pan tightly with parchment and foil. Bake for 45 minutes, until the potatoes have started to soften and the vegetables have released their juices.

6. 6

   Brown uncovered

   Uncover the pan, baste the top with the red oil from the corners, and bake for another 45 minutes, turning the pan once. The briam is ready when the potatoes are tender, the zucchini edges are browned, and the oil has separated into glossy red pools around the vegetables.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Let the briam rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. It tastes better warm than scorching hot, and better still at room temperature, when the oil settles and the tomato sweetens. Serve with country bread, olives, and feta only if you are not keeping the fast.

Chef Tips

• •Briam is summer food. If the tomatoes smell of nothing, tell the truth and wait, or use bottled summer tomato from a Greek pantry and accept that you are making a practical winter tray, not the high-summer one.
• •Use enough olive oil. Ladera means oil-cooked, and 150ml for a whole pan is not extravagance. It is what carries the tomato into the potatoes and gives the vegetables their gloss.
• •Don't crowd the pan. A deep pile stews and turns watery. A wide tapsi gives the top edges enough heat to brown while the lower slices soften.
• •Briam keeps beautifully for four days in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature or rewarm it gently; cold olive oil tastes dull, and this dish deserves better.
• •For a strict nistisimo table, serve it with bread and olives. Outside the fast, feta beside the plate is the old, sensible answer.

Advance Preparation

• •The whole tray can be baked one day ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature or rewarm gently before serving.
• •Grate the tomatoes and slice the onions up to one day ahead. Do not slice the potatoes ahead unless you keep them submerged in cold water, then dry them well before baking.
• •Leftovers keep for four days in the refrigerator. Freezing is possible, but the potatoes soften too much for my taste.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 375g)