Spinach Pies from Crete
Introduction
Serves: Makes 20
Ingredients
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bunch slim spring onions (scallions), trimmed and sliced
200g (7 oz) creamy feta cheese, crumbled
1 large (size 7) free-range egg, beaten
1 Tbsp chopped mint
2 Tbsp chopped dill
2 Tbsp pine nuts
200g (7 oz) filo pastry
50–70ml (3-5 Tbsp) olive oil
Yoghurt for serving
Method
1 Wash spinach and dry as best you can in a clean tea towel or with paper towels. Put spinach in a colander and rub 1½ teaspoons of salt through. Leave to soften for 30–45 minutes, tossing once or twice. Wring out excess moisture, chop finely and transfer to a bowl.
2 Preheat oven to 190°C fanbake (375°F). Line a shallow baking dish with baking (parchment) paper. Add spring onions, feta, egg, herbs, pine nuts and black pepper to taste to spinach.
3 Cut filo sheets in half vertically, then stack and cover with a clean cloth. Working with one piece of filo at a time, and keeping remainder covered with the cloth, brush filo with oil and fold in half lengthways. Put a small line of filling along length of filo, then roll up and gently shape into a coil. Transfer to prepared baking dish, keeping coils pressed closely together to stop them unravelling during baking. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
4 Brush tops of filo coils with a little oil. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a good golden brown. Serve hot or warm with yoghurt.
Recipe Notes
It’s important to use a creamy feta for this recipe because very firm feta can tear the pastry when it is rolled into coils.
