Briam

About Briam

Briam is a Greek roasted-vegetable dish, a cornerstone of the summer table and of the ladera tradition — vegetables cooked slowly in plenty of olive oil until soft and sweet. Zucchini, potatoes, eggplant, tomato, and onion are sliced, tossed with oregano and extra-virgin olive oil, and baked together until they collapse into something between a bake and a confit. It's naturally vegan and, because it leans entirely on vegetables and good oil, tastes far more than the sum of its plain ingredients.

The flavor is deep and mellow: the vegetables caramelize at their edges, their juices mingle with the oil and tomato into a savory pool, and the oregano threads a resinous, herbal note throughout. Cutting everything to a roughly even one-centimeter thickness is the small discipline that matters here, so the potatoes finish tender at the same moment the zucchini and eggplant do. Traditionally served warm or at room temperature with plenty of crusty bread to mop the oil, briam works as a light main, a meze, or a side alongside grilled meat or fish and a wedge of feta.