Greek spinach pie (Spanikopita)
Ingridients:
250 g young spinach
200 g feta cheese
1 tsp. salt for spinach
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 stalks of green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon mint, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh nettles, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried nettles
60 g Greek yogurt
2 eggs 30 g (2 tablespoons) parmesan
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
300 g fresh phyllo dough (thin layers) or 10 sheets
3-5 tbsp melted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F). Wash the spinach and cut it into large pieces. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Gently toss with your hands and let it sit for 5 minutes. Wrap the spinach in cheesecloth and squeeze out all excess liquid.
In a bowl, combine chopped garlic, onion, parsley, mint, nettles, nutmeg, and feta cheese. Add Greek yogurt, eggs, grated cheese, spinach, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a bowl, mix melted butter and olive oil. Grease a 20 cm x 30 cm baking dish with the butter and oil mixture.
Cut the phyllo dough sheets to the size of (or slightly larger than) your baking dish. Place one layer of phyllo dough in the bottom of the dish, brush with the butter-oil mixture. Add another layer and brush with butter. Repeat the process until you have five layers of dough.
Spread the spinach filling evenly over the dough. Cover with another layer of phyllo and brush with olive oil. Continue layering until you have another five layers of dough on top. Brush the final layer with butter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cut into eight rectangles. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Recipe and photos were made for Striped Apron magazine, Summer 2023.
