Golden Briami Tart

This golden briami tart features eggplant, onion, tomatoes, bell pepper and, of course, garlic, pan-fried till golden then baked in puff pastry crust.

Some of the best advice about growing older and still keeping an active mind is the recommendation to learn something new each day. A few days ago, the new word and dish briami was mine. I came across it while searching for Greek recipes. 

Many recipe sites called briami Greek ratatouille so I knew we would love it. Ratatouille is one of our favorite dishes, although I don’t roast my vegetables, preferring to brown them in a hot pan rather than turn the oven on. It takes a little longer but the result is so worth it!

Since I was being untraditional with my cooking method, I decided to go one step farther and bake the briami in puff pastry. It turned out so pretty and delicious as well. 

Golden Briami Tart 

Traditional briami also has potatoes but I didn’t have any on hand. If you want to include a few new potatoes or cubed potato in the vegetable line-up, those would be a lovely addition. 

 

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry (8.6 oz or 245g)

1 large eggplant

1/2 large onion

18 cherry or grape tomatoes

1/2 green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Fine sea salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

For garnish, if desired:

Chopped green onion tops

Method

Trim the stem off of your eggplant and cut it into chunks. No need to peel it if the skin is not hard or bitter. 

Heat a non-stick skillet and cook the eggplant in batches in the hot pan, turning the pieces occasionally till they are browned on all sides. 

Drizzle in a little of the olive oil and fry for a few minutes more until the eggplant is a deeper brown and the oil has all been absorbed. Tip each batch of cooked eggplant into a large bowl when it’s done and season with a sprinkle of salt and a few grinds from a black peppermill.  

Cut the onion into thick slices, making sure to have a little of the core in each slice to hold the layers together. Remove the seeds from the bell pepper and cut it into slices as well. 

In the same hot skillet you used for the eggplant, brown first the onions and then the bell pepper, adding a drizzle of olive oil to each when done. Put the onion and bell pepper on a plate to cool. 

Finally, add the small tomatoes to the pan and cook them for a few minutes, until they are a little scorched all round. Tip them into the bowl with the seasoned eggplant, add the garlic and stir gently. Leave all the vegetables to cool. 

Cut a large enough piece of baking parchment to line a large baking pan. 

When the vegetables are cool, unroll the puff pastry sheet onto the baking parchment and gently use a rolling pin to stretch the pastry till it’s about 10 x 14 inches or 26 x 36cm. Move the baking parchment to your baking pan. 

Fold the edges of the pastry in once and try to get the sides to stand up by pinching the corners together. 

Use the tines of a fork to dock the base of the pastry. Spoon the eggplant and tomatoes onto the puff pastry.

Distribute the onions and bell pepper around decoratively. 

Pop the whole pan into the refrigerator to chill while you preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C (convection) or 425°F or 218°C (normal oven.) 

Bake the tart in your preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the puff pastry is risen and golden. - Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before cutting to serve. Sprinkle on some chopped green onions for garnish, if desired. 

This makes a lovely lunch or dinner for six, if you add on a side salad.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday - hurrah! -so that means my Sunday FunDay group is sharing recipes again. This week the theme is Greek food! Check out the list below. Many thanks to our host, Amy of Amy’s Cooking Adventures. 

• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Greek Cabbage Roll Rice Bowls
• A Day in the Life on The Farm: Makaronia me Yiaourti
• Palatable Pastime: Spanakopita Bites
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla: A Polarizing, Perplexing Greek Wine + Kouneli Stifado
• Sneha’s Recipe: Greek Hot Dogs
• Food Lust People Love: Golden Briami Tart

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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