Briam, the Greek ratatouille

The Greek version of ratatouille is called briam and it’s delicious, full of hearty veggies and extra virgin olive oil goodness.

Course Main

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2

Servings

Calories 378kcal

1 large eggplant or two medium. Cut in 1/4 inch slices/coins, if diameter is too big cut the slice in half
2 medium zucchini cut in 1/4 inch slices/coins
4 potatoes medium size, cut in 1/6 inch slices
1 onion halved and sliced
14 oz tomatoes crushed.
1 teaspoon sugar
5-6 garlic cloves roughly chopped
1 cups broth chicken or vegetable
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
fresh herbs thyme, oregano
dried oregano
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Slice the zucchini into ¼ inch slices/coins.
Do the same for the eggplant. Cut in ¼ inch slices/coins; if too big, cut the slice in half. If the diameter of the slice is too large, cut the slices in half.
Next, peel the potatoes and cut them into ⅙ inch slices.
Roughly chop the garlic and slice the onion.
Add eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, and onions to a large bowl (or use the baking pan).
Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a generous pinch of oregano. Add half the olive oil all over. Mix gently.

In a baking pan, stack the vegetable slices upwards.
Make groups of eggplant, zucchini, potato, and onion slices and stack. Repeat until you fill the whole pan.
Place the crushed tomatoes, and chopped garlic into a bowl.
Add a teaspoon of sugar, a tablespoon of dried oregano and some leaves from the fresh herbs, and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Mix and pour tomatoes over the stacked vegetables. With your hand, push them between the vegetables.

Pour the rest of the olive oil and the broth on top of the vegetables—stuff fresh herb sprigs between the veggies.
Cover with aluminum foil and roast for an hour and thirty minutes.
Remove the cover and cook for another hour and a half. Check the liquids in the pan. Please see the recipe notes.
Remove from heat, let it sit for 20 min, and serve with feta and crusty bread.

For this recipe, I used an oval ceramic roasting pan from Dansk with measurements 13.75" L x 8.00" W x 2.00" H, 64 oz.

A medium baking pan of a similar weight capacity should work fine. It is not necessary to be oval or round; a rectangle will work just fine.

How to have perfectly roasted vegetables.

Check the food towards the end of the second hour to ensure it is done to your liking. The potatoes must be fully cooked, soft, and buttery with crispy edges. The sauce should not be thin and watery. You want all the flavors to mellow out from the herbs, tomatoes, and olive oil, and are slightly sweet, savory, and delicious.
You might need to roast for another half hour or more.
It is important not to disturb the veggies too much while they roast; do the bare minimum, you want the zucchini and eggplant will retain their shape.

Substitutes

You can add sliced bell peppers, yellow squash, and even mushrooms to the mix.
In the summer months, take advantage of the juicy tomatoes that are filling the farmer's markets and use them in this dish. Remember that it is preferable to use quality canned tomatoes than mediocre fresh tomatoes. I don't mind at all using good-quality canned tomatoes. My go-to is always authentic San Marzano, like Gustarosso. Similar brands are found at Traders Joe's, Whole Foods, and other good grocery stores. If using conventional canned tomatoes, consider mixing a teaspoon of sugar in the tomatoes to break their acidity before adding them to the food.

Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on its products.