Spanakopita Spinach Pie with Fillo Dough

In Greece, phyllo dough and food pies are something close to the heart, and can be eaten at almost any time of the day!

A classic is the wonderful spinach pie with good quality feta! It can be enjoyed warm straight from the oven, but is also wonderful cold in, for example, a packed lunch.

It comes together relatively quickly if you buy frozen phyllo dough, but of course you can also try homemade phyllo dough! This recipe is based on ready-made, store-bought phyllo dough.

You can of course also fill the dough with all kinds of other delicious fillings, but otherwise follow the same procedure. This recipe is relatively simple in its ingredients, which is why the pie always turns out best if you choose good quality ingredients so that they are really allowed to shine through!

Alternative filling suggestions could be boiled potatoes, rosemary and feta, sun-dried tomatoes, olives… well, anything your Greek-loving heart desires!

This recipe makes approx. 4 people.

Ingredients:

• A pack of frozen phyllo dough can be bought from most large supermarket chains
• A block of good quality feta (don't compromise here!)
• A bag of frozen spinach, thawed (fresh spinach can also be used, just cook first)
• 2 eggs
• A sprig of rosemary
• 2 cloves of garlic
• A good quality extra virgin olive oil (for example this one from Agia Triada)
• A sheet of baking paper

Course of action:

1. Leave the phyllo dough and spinach to thaw the night before in the fridge, DO NOT unwrap the phyllo dough as it will otherwise become sticky and difficult to handle. The things can also be thawed on the kitchen table for a few hours if you were not well prepared.
   
   
2. The thawed phyllo dough is now unwrapped and placed between two slightly damp tea towels, so that they are ready to assemble the pie later.
   
   
3. The spinach is twisted as well as possible for liquid, so that the pie can become crispy. If this step is skipped, the water will make the pie soft and unappetizing on the bottom.
   
   
4. In a large bowl, mix the spinach, the 2 eggs and the chopped garlic and rosemary. The feta is also crumbled in this. The whole thing is stirred around until you have a roughly uniform mass.
   
   
5. Now find your pie dish, here it works best with an oblong or square dish. Line the dish with baking paper. The first paper-thin layer of phyllo dough is placed in the bottom of the dish and smeared with a good layer of olive oil. Don't skimp here, but don't overdo it either! Another layer of dough is then placed on top and smeared with olive oil. The process is repeated until you have used approximately half of the phyllo dough package. Some of the plates may break a little, but don't take it too seriously.
   
   
6. When half is used, you spread the wonderful feta spinach mass over the phyllo dough, all the way to the edges.
   
   
7. Layer upon layer the process is now repeated in the same way as at the bottom, with olive oil between each layer. The edges should stick a little over the dish, they will be nice and crispy when the pie is baked! If you want to decorate the pie on top, twist if necessary. a piece of phyllo dough around itself and lay it on top of the pie! You can also lay a few leaves of rosemary, or cut small patterns with the tip of a knife. Only the imagination is the limit here! The most important thing is that you don't cut all the way to the bottom of the pie. If you want to skip this step, that's also perfectly fine! The pie is beautiful and tasty nonetheless.
   
   
8. The pie is now baked in a 165 degree preheated oven for about an hour. The pie should be beautifully golden and crispy!
   
   
9. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for a moment before serving. The baking paper at the bottom of the dish means that the pie is easily lifted up and served on a plate or serving dish. The pie is traditionally cut into squares. Eat the pie as it is or as a side dish to a main course.
   
   Potassium appetite!

The warmest Greek food greetings from Maria, Elenas.dk