Spanakopita
Made by: Nick
This spinach pie is a comfort food in Greek culture. Think of it as a big, warm hug from a big, warm Greek!
Recipe
Spanakopita
Servings: 4–8
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30–40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
2 leeks, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups fresh spinach
4 eggs
350 grams feta cheese
2 teaspoons Greek oregano
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 package frozen phyllo pastry
Olive oil
Directions
For Filling
Thinly slice the leeks and sauté in a deep pan with the butter until soft.
Add spinach and cook until wilted.
Remove from heat and drain any excess liquid.
Clean and set aside the pan.
In a bowl, combine the eggs, crumbled feta, spinach and leek mixture, oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper.
For Pastry
Heat oven to 325˚F
Remove phyllo pastry from freezer and let thaw for 15 to 20 minutes.
Cut a length of parchment paper long enough to cover the width of two sheets of pastry.
Drizzle a little olive oil on the parchment and crumple it to spread the oil evenly and keep the paper from rolling up.
Unwrap the pastry and lay down four sheets on the parchment to create a large square, with roughly a quarter of each sheet overlapping the next in the centre.
Repeat 2 to 3 times, depending on the thickness of pastry you prefer, lightly brushing each layer with olive oil.
When you’re ready, position your deep frying pan nearby and use the parchment to lift the centre of the pastry over the pan.
Once in position, gently press the phyllo into the pan and pour in the filling.
Pull the exposed layers of pastry over the centre of the filling to cover the pie.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until phyllo is golden brown.
Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve warm.
Beverage pairing
A crisp, piney retsina.
You feta work:
The stinkier and brinier the better! Use authentic feta made from goat’s or sheep’s milk. Avoid so-called cow’s milk feta. Bleh. This Greek recommends Dodoni brand feta.