Greek Food, Cooking and Recipe Community

Preventing Briam from Getting Watery?

1 - 2 of 2 Posts
auroracoor1

auroracoor1

Active member
I’ve been trying to master briam, but I keep running into the same problem: it comes out too watery. I love the combination of potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, etc baked together, but by the time it’s done, there’s usually a puddle of liquid at the bottom of the pan that makes everything soggy instead of beautifully roasted.

I’ve tried adjusting the oven temperature and leaving it in longer, but then the veggies sometimes start to overcook or fall apart. I’ve also experimented with less oil or thinner slices, but the texture still isn’t quite what I’m looking for.

For those who make briam regularly, what’s your trick for keeping it rich and roasted instead of watery? There was a time when I used to make this dish a lot, but it's been a while, and I never had this problem before. Thanks!
 
I’ve run into that same issue with briam before, and a few small tweaks really helped me get it right again. The biggest game-changer was salting the zucchini and eggplant slices ahead of time. I sprinkle them with salt, let them sit in a colander for about 30 minutes, then pat them dry — this draws out a lot of their excess water before they even hit the pan.

Another trick is to roast the vegetables in a wide, shallow baking dish instead of a deep one. A wider surface lets more moisture evaporate as it cooks. I also make sure not to overcrowd the pan; if the vegetables are layered too tightly, they’ll steam instead of roast.

Lastly, I sometimes roast the veggies uncovered for most of the time and only cover loosely with foil near the end if they need to soften more. That usually gives me the rich, caramelized result I want.
 
1 - 2 of 2 Posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION AND READ OTHER GREEK INFO:

What to do with garden zucchini?

Every summer, I seem to end up with more zucchini from the garden than I know what to do with! Of course, in Greek cooking there are plenty of good options, but I’m always looking for new ideas once I’ve made the usual favorites a few times.

I tend to use zucchini for kolokithokeftedes, briam, stuffed zucchini, and simple sautéed dishes with olive oil and herbs. I also like adding it to vegetable pies or roasting it alongside potatoes and other summer vegetables. Still, when the garden is producing zucchini constantly, it’s easy to run out of inspiration.

What does everyone else do with an abundance of garden zucchini? Are there traditional Greek recipes you make every summer, especially ones that use a lot at once?

I’d also love ideas for preserving or freezing zucchini in a way that works well for Greek dishes later in the year.

What Greek Foods Do You Start Craving in the Fall?

I've been thinking more about seasonal eating lately, especially from a Greek perspective. Summer Greek food feels so naturally tied to the season with tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, fresh herbs, grilled foods, and plenty of fruit. But once the weather starts cooling down, I find myself wondering what traditional Greek foods really feel like fall.

Are there certain dishes you start making as soon as September or October arrives? I'm thinking of foods like fasolada, giouvetsi, trahana soup, baked dishes, savory pies, and recipes using apples, grapes, walnuts, chestnuts, pumpkin, or other fall ingredients.

I'd especially love to hear about foods that were seasonal in your family rather than dishes you ate year-round. Were there certain meals your yiayia or parents always started making when the weather changed?

What Greek foods make you think, "Okay, fall is officially here"?

Do You Make Avgolemono Thick or Brothy?

I usually prefer avgolemono somewhere in the middle. I don’t like it so thick that it feels almost like a cream soup, but I also don’t want it completely thin and brothy. For me, the best version has enough egg and lemon to give the broth some body while still keeping it light.

A lot probably depends on what kind of avgolemono you’re making, too. In chicken soup, I like it a little more brothy because I want the rice or orzo and chicken to still stand out. With something like lahanodolmades, I don’t mind the avgolemono sauce being thicker because it is coating the food rather than serving as the soup itself.

The lemon level matters just as much as the thickness. I like enough lemon to make it bright and noticeable, but not so much that it overwhelms everything else. I think balance is really the key.

Favorite Greek Cheeses Beyond Feta

Feta gets most of the attention when people talk about Greek cheese, but there are so many other varieties worth trying. I’m curious which Greek cheeses everyone enjoys most beyond feta.

Graviera is one of my favorites because it works so well on a cheese plate, grated over dishes, or just eaten with bread. Kasseri is another one I really like, especially melted. I’ve also been interested in trying more regional cheeses like metsovone, manouri, kefalotyri, and formaela.

Some Greek cheeses seem to be much easier to find outside Greece than others, so I’d also love to know which ones people regularly buy and where they usually find them.

What Greek cheeses do you keep coming back to? Are there certain ones you associate with a particular region, dish, or family tradition? And if someone has mostly eaten feta, which Greek cheese would you recommend they try next?

What Do You Put in Your Gemista?

Gemista is one of those Greek dishes that seems to be a little different in every household, and I’m always interested in hearing how other people make it. I usually think of the classic tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice, herbs, and sometimes ground meat, but there are so many variations.

What do you put in your gemista? Do you make yours with meat or keep them vegetarian? Which herbs do you use? I’ve seen recipes with parsley, mint, dill, or different combinations, and even the amount of tomato in the filling seems to vary.

I’m also curious about what vegetables you like to stuff. Do you stick with tomatoes and peppers, or add zucchini, eggplant, or onions? And do you always cook potatoes alongside them?

I’d love to hear your family’s version, especially if there’s an ingredient or technique that makes your gemista a little different.
Sign up for a free account and share your thoughts, photos, questions about Greek food, travel and culture!

WorldwideGreeks.com is a free online forum community where people can discuss Greek food, travel, traditions, history and mythology.
Join Worldwide Greeks here!

JOIN COMMUNITY FOR FREE

LOGIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT
Back
Top