Spanakopita (Spinach & Feta Pie)

SPANAKOPITA   (Spinach & Feta Pie)

• Preheat oven to 200C.
• Use 28cm diameter baking tray

Ingredients

For Pastry:

• 3½ cups plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup warm water, enough to form a soft dough
• 100g melted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Filling

• ½ bunch silverbeet washed
• 1 English spinach bunch, washed
• 2 tbsp each of following herbs:
• Continental parsley, dill, basil leaves, mint leaves, chopped
• ¾ cup shallots, finely sliced
• 200g Australian feta
• 100g Greek feta
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Pepper to season

Method

Prepare the baking tray by coating the base and sides with butter and a little olive oil.

Pastry:

1. Mix the flour with salt in a large bowl and make a well in centre. 
2. Add olive oil and enough warm water to make a soft dough. 
3. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and soft, cover with cling wrap and put aside.

Filling: 

1. Wash the silverbeet and spinach well and chop. 
2. Lightly grease with olive oil a deep frypan, add spinach and silverbeet, stirring occasionally over medium heat until wilted. 
3. Drain excess water and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
4. Chop and fry the shallots in olive oil, until translucent. 
5. Place in bowl with wilted greens.
6. Crumble the feta cheeses into the bowl using your fingertips.
7. Add the chopped herbs, pepper and the lightly beaten eggs and mix well.
8. Set aside and prepare the pastry. 

Note – feta cheese is salty so no extra salt is required.

1. Break the dough into smaller balls and using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a pastry round about the size of a bread plate size.
2. Brush each round with a light coat of a mix of melted butter and oil. 
3. Repeat this 5 times to create a stack of 6 rounds where each layer is buttered except for the top layer. 
4. Then roll this stack to form one large pastry round – this is the pastry base. 
5. It needs to be rolled out larger than the baking tray so that it comes up the sides of baking tray.
6. Repeat these steps to make the pie’s pastry top. 
7. Only making a stack of 5 rounds instead of 6.
8. Roll the 5 rounds to form one and after placing the filling into the pan cover with the final round.
9. Brush the top with melted butter and using a knife gently cut into the pastry in a large grid manner. 
10. This is to prevent a dome rising in the centre of pie during baking.
11. Bake at 200C for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to 180C and bake a further 10 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Allow pie to sit 10 minutes before cutting.