Briam is a Greek vegetable casserole dish, a little like the French Ratatouille but it can also be cooked in the oven for more flavour.
This was the vegan choice in a tasting menu when I cooked in Kalimera London. It proved very popular and not just with diners on a plant based diet!
Ingredients (the vegetable quantities below are neat after trimmed and peeled)
For the Briam (serves 8)
- 1 small aubergine (185g), sliced and cut in 1cm cubes
- 1 courgette (220g), depending on size sliced and cut in half
- Carrots (125 g)], cut in small brunnoise
- Red pepper (85g), thinly sliced
- Green pepper (150g), thinly sliced
- Fresh tomato peeled and cut in small dice (250g)
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp vegan bouillon
- 4 small shallots, peeled and cut in half
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced lengthwise
- 3-4 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
- 100ml vegan white wine
- 1 tbsp traditional balsamic vinegar
For the butter bean and artichoke puree
- 3 tins butter beans, net weighing 240g net
- A tin 270g neat weight
- 3 tbsp light tahini paste
- 400ml vegetable stock
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- lemon juice to taste (1/2 lemon)
For the crumb
- 15g panko crumbs
- 15g chopped pistachios
- 15g mixed seeds
- 15g butter
- Salt & Pepper
- 3 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
To serve
- 200g vegan feta cheese
- 8 asparagus spears
- Lemon juice
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Seed & nut crumb
- A confit tomato, herb or just a good EVOO to drizzle
Method
Bring a large pan to a high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Scorch the shallot halves on the cut side and keep to the side.
Add another 2 tbsp of olive oil and when hot, add half the vegetables and cook on high heat stirring continuously to caramelise. Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with the other half of the vegetables, adding the chopped garlic half way through cooking. Return the first half of the vegetables to the pan, add the wine and let it evaporate. Add the tomato paste, fresh tomato, the thyme leaves and bouillon. Cut each shallot half in half again and mix the shallot into the vegetables too. Stir well and transfer to a large baking tray. Drizzle with some more extra virgin olive oil.
Finish cooking the Briam in a preheated oven at 180 C Fan for 30 minutes. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and stir.
To make the crumb, stir all the ingredients apart from the rosemary in a baking tin and bake in the oven for a few minutes until golden. Add the rosemary and mix well.
To make the butterbean puree, chop the artichokes and add to the drained butterbeans in a saucepan. Add the stock, tahini, coriander and season with salt and pepper and blitz with a stick blender. Pass through a chinois and thin if necessary adding a little more stock. Add a squeeze of lemon and adjust seasoning.
Use a peeler to thinly slice the asparagus spears. Put in a bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a generous squeeze of lemon. Mix well and season.
To serve, spoon some of the puree onto a plate, top with a good dollop of Briam, sprinkle with the crumb and top with the seasoned asparagus spears. Scatter some chunks of vegan feta all over the dish.