Filo, spinach and feta pie
Yield
6
Cooking Time
50 mins
Preparation Time
20 mins
Ingredients
600g large-leaf spinach
400g chard, leaves and stalks
7tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, roughly chopped
5g oregano leaves, roughly chopped
250g ricotta
2 eggs
300g feta
1/2 unwaxed lemon
100g filo pastry
Method
Heat oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/mark 4. Wash the greens and remove any tough stalks, saving the chard stalks. Cut the chard stalks into 1cm pieces and steam for 3-4 minutes, then remove to a bowl. Steam the chard and spinach leaves for 3-4 minutes, until wilted. Alternatively, if you don't have a steamer, boil in plenty of water, which will take about a minute less.
Strain the leaves and stalks and, when they are cool enough to touch, squeeze them thoroughly to remove all excess water before roughly chopping.
In a large saucepan, heat 3tbsp of the oil and gently sweat the onion, with a large pinch of salt, for about 5 minutes, until it has softened and is sweet. Add the herbs and stir, then add the greens. Season well with salt and pepper, and cook for just a minute so that the flavours combine.
In another large bowl, beat the ricotta and eggs, and then crumble in large chunks of the Medita. Grate the zest from half the lemon and add 1tbsp of its juice. Fold the greens into the cheese mixture and season well.
With the remaining oil, brush the inside of your baking dish and lay a sheet of filo pastry so that it covers the bottom and comes up the sides, with any excess hanging over the edges. Brush the top of the sheet with oil and repeat this with six more sheets, brushing with plenty of oil between the layers.
Spoon the greens and cheese mixture into the lined dish and cover the top with another sheet of filo, tucking it in around the sides and brushing the top well with oil. Then fold the hanging edges over to make a parcel. Cover this with another three sheets, brushing the top with oil between each one and tucking it into the sides. You need not try to make it too smooth: a bit of rucked surface will create a good crisp texture on the top of the dish. Using a skewer, make a few holes in the top of the pastry to allow hot air to escape. Lightly sprinkle with water and bake for 45-50 minutes in the oven or until the top of the pie looks golden brown and the pastry is crisp. If it still looks pale after 40 minutes, you may need to increase the oven temperature to 200°C.
Top Tips
This recipe is a good opportunity to try out some British cheeses, such as Westcombe ricotta from Somerset and Medita, which is a feta-style organic sheep's milk cheese made in Sussex.
This article originally appeared on House & Garden UK.
