This is a classic from the West of the island of Crete. The combination of courgettes, cheese and mint make a delicious side dish or lunch in its own right.
Originally a summer dish when courgettes abound, it is worth trying at other times of the year with different veg combinations. One of my favourite is sweet potato and spinach.
Occasionally the dish is topped with sprinkled sesame seeds before baking.
A mandolin is very handy for this recipe but if you don’t have one, apply patience with your chef’s knife and chop the vegetables as thinly as possible.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 2 medium sized courgettes, approx. 300g, thinly sliced
- 1 large or 2 medium size potatoes, approx. 300g, thinly sliced
- 75g graviera cheese, grated
- 200g Greek feta cheese
- 200ml full fat milk
- 2 eggs
- 3 heaped tbsp plain flour
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- A small bunch of mint, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds
Method
Brush the bottom of an oblong oven proof dish, 20x26cm, round of 22-25cm diameter or similar.
Put the courgettes in a bowl and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chopped mint and dust with 1 tbsp of the flour. Mix well so that everything is well incorporated.
Put the potato slices in a second bowl and dust with 1 tbsp flour and season with salt and pepper.
Place the potato slices in one layer in the greased dish and crumble over them the feta cheese. Top with the courgette layer and finish with a layer of sliced tomatoes.
Break the eggs in a jug containing the milk and add the olive oil , remaining flour and dried oregano. Whisk well and pour all over the vegetables. Finish with the grated cheese and the sesame seeds.
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Cook the boureki for 15 minutes, lower the heat to 180 and continue cooking for a further 50-60 minutes.
Check and cover with some silver foil if the top browns too much. Leave to stand for 15-20 minutes before slicing to serve.
In this Autumnal boureki, butternut squash has replaced the potato and chopped flame roasted pepper has substituted the sliced tomatoes.