The most famous Greek dish? Possibly. Spanakopita or spinach pie is a much loved and well known Greek dish. Before I married Kosta, I knew spanakopita as filling heavy, usually with pre-made filo pastry. It was delicious, but not a patch on the real thing. True spanakopita, I came to know once I was married. A quick visit to Ma’s house, after a day at work, would often see us returning home from with a warm tapsi (the big silver pan) of spanakopita, swaddled in freshly laundered tea towels. Believe me, there is no happier smell after a day in the office than fresh laundry muddled with the dill and leek-rich aroma of spanakopita.
Greek women pride themselves on the quality of their homemade filo. There are many methods, tips and techniques. The women of Northern Greece are renowned for the pites. I am sure, like the myths surrounding Neopolitan pizza, that there is much to be said for the local water and flour a pita is made with. Rolling the dough out will give your upper arms a really good workout. I think it’s justification enough to always have a second slice of pita.
Ma’s Ionian version of spanakopita achieves a light, crumbly filo pastry that gently carries a minimal filling. While minimal the filling maybe, in flavour it is not. Earthy spinach (or sometimes the equivalent of a mix of home grown ‘wild’ greens), melds with the sweetness of leeks, savoury fresh shallots (or as they are known in US, scallions), aromatic dill and salty, tangy sheep and goat’s feta.
Your kitchen will smell heavenly while this pita cooks. The aroma will take you to a lushly green Ionian island hillside. Serve simply with a chilled glass of rose wine, or for a more extensive meal, another classic – the Greek ‘hortiatiki’ salad.
Spinach pie (Spanakopita)
σπανακοπιτα
Ingredients
For the dough
- 4 cups of flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp Greek wine vinegar
- 4 tbs EVOO
- 1 & 1/2 tea cups of warm water
For the filling
- 200 g of good quality Greek DOC feta crumbled
- 2 bunches of shallots finely chopped
- 2 leeks finely chopped
- 2 bunches of spinach finely shredded
- 1 bunch of dill finely chopped
- 2 eggs beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 170C. Start by preparing the dough. In a bowl, add the flour and create a well in the center. Add the salt, vinegar and EVOO. Gradually add the water (you may not need to add all of it) and mix all the dough ingredients. The dough should be firm and soft and easily peel off your hands. Take a seperate bowl and brush with EVOO. Place the dough in the bowl and brush the top and sides of the dough wth EVOO. Set the dough aside for at least half an hour.
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In the meantime, prepare the filling. Wash and clean the spinach well. Shred finely and place in a large bowl. Add a little salt and then rub/crush the spinach with your hands to make it wilt. Set aside while you clean and prepare the other ingredients. The spinach should accumulate some liquid in the bottom of the bowl, drain this off. Next, add the chopped shallots, leek and dill. Mix well to combine. Finally, add the crumbled feta and eggs. Mix well to combine. Add a little seasoning (be careful with salt as this would already have been added to the spinach.)
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Divide the dough into two parts, the bottom sheet (2/3 of the dough) and the top sheet (1/3 of the dough).
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On a clean and floured work surface, 'open' (rollout) the two sheets of fyllo. When each sheet is nearly rolled out, drizzle lightly with EVOO.
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Fold back the corner of each sheet of dough, onto the oil drizzled part, one and a time, and roll out as much as you can, The oil should help the dough stretch a little further and become thinner, without tearing.
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In an oiled baking dish, place the bottom sheet (it should also cover the sides of the dish). Carefully pour the filling onto the fyllo lined baking dish, making sure it is the same thickness across the dish. Cover with the top sheet and join the two sheets by folding the edges inwards.
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Brush the pita with a little EVOO, use a fork to create a few holes and bake at 170 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown. When ready, remove the pie from the oven and if desired, brush with a little more EVOO. Best served warm or at room temperature.
