Briam (Greek Aubergine Casserole)
A wonderfully soft, rich and smoky dish, which I first had in Crete after walking down the Samaria Gorge. The secret is ridiculous amounts of olive oil and long, slow cooking.
Serving 2 - 4
1 large aubergine, sliced in ½ inch rounds
2-3 ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced or crushed
salt and pepper and dried thyme
2-3 medium sized potatoes, in ½ inch slices
approx 50ml good quality olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
Pour half a cup of water into a casserole dish. Layer aubergine slices in the dish. Slosh on some olive oil and salt and pepper. Sprinkle the onions, garlic and pinches of thyme here and there amongst all the layers.
Layer on the tomatoes, add a little more oil. Add the potatoes, a good dollop more oil, more salt and pepper. Then add another layer of aubergine and more oil, salt and pepper.
Cover and bake, according to a sliding scale of cooking time versus temperature. An authentic briam should cook for at 3 or 4 hours in a low oven, say gas mark 4. However, if like me, you seldom have the leisure to wait 4 hours for your dinner, it will cook well in 2 or maybe even 1½ hours on gas mark 6 or 7. Either way, it needs no further attentions, so go off and walk the hills for a few hours while it cooks.
Eat with fresh crusty bread, perhaps a green salad, some olives. And definitely a glass of red.