Briam is an oven-baked dish of fresh vegetables, herbs, olive oil, and an optional feta cheese. It is one of the most classic dishes of the Mediterranean Diet. This version was served to us at a seaside taverna on the island of Ikaria, a fiercely self-sufficient and proud island that has the highest rate of people who live to be over 100. As my wife Christine and I sat enjoying the immense view of the Aegean Sea, we were treated to some of the best briam I had ever tasted. After speaking to the woman who makes this satisfying dish, I quickly realized 3 mistakes I had made when preparing this dish at home:
- I was cutting all the vegetables too thin.
- I wasn’t baking the dish long enough.
- I wasn’t using enough dill.
Cut the vegetables LARGE!
Pouring olive oil onto Briam ingredients
2 hours later. Perfect Briam!
Briam - Baked Vegetables in Olive Oil (Island of Ikaria-Greece)
Ingredients
- 2 small eggplant, cut into large, thick strips 2 small or 1 large
- 4 small potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces 4 small or 2 large
- 3-4 small zucchini, ends cut off and cut into large pieces
- 2 onions, cut in half
- 1 red pepper, cut into large pieces
- 1 orange pepper, cut into large pieces
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 bunch dill, de-stemmed and chopped
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup feta, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large Dutch oven or baking dish, mix all ingredients except feta. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
- Bake for 1 hour and stir. Re-cover and bake for another hour. Remove from oven, stir in feta cheese and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 411kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 10gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 881mgPotassium: 1393mgFiber: 10gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 1677IUVitamin C: 102mgCalcium: 214mgIron: 3mg
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About the Author: Bill Bradley, R.D.
Bill’s passion is to live and teach the principles of good food, generosity, and how to open our hearts while we take care of ourselves and others. More →
Great recipe! I remember making it years ago, but it didn’t turn out nearly as well as this did (I think I made it wrong, LOL). It was absolutely delicious, but I ended up making a TON of it! It’s especially good when you sop up what’s left in the plate with a little piece of whole wheat einkorn sourdough bread!
Excellent recipe!! Made it quite a few times, and shared with my friends. Dill is the secret – use it in abundance. I also experimented with Italian seasoning, and I usually add a few garlic cloves, cause I’m a rebel!! Hahaha!
Briam loves rebels!
-Bill