A recipe from Gemo

Spanakopita

Name: Spanakopita
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 6 piece
Ingredients: 300 g Phyllo Dough (filo pastry; about 10-12 thin sheets, thawed); 900 g Spinach (washed, dried, roughly chopped); 130 ml Olive Oil (extra virgin if available; divided); 1 pc Leek (white and light green parts, finely sliced); 4 pc Green Onion (Scallion) (thinly sliced); 1 pc Onion (finely chopped); 250 g Cheese (Feta) (crumbled; firm brined cheese works); 2 pc Egg (lightly beaten); 20 g Dill (chopped); 15 g Parsley (chopped); 10 g Mint (chopped, optional but traditional); 1 tsp Lemon (finely grated); 0.25 tsp Nutmeg (optional); 1 tsp Salt (mostly for wilting spinach); 0.5 tsp Black Pepper (freshly ground)

გემო (ოფიციალური გვერდი)Chef

95 minMedium6 servings

A Greek savory pie with a spinach, feta-style cheese, scallion, leek, and herb filling baked between crisp layers of phyllo pastry. The filling is kept dry and the pastry is brushed with olive oil so the base and top bake flaky instead of soggy.

Method

01
Bring the phyllo dough to cool room temperature while still wrapped. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 180 C fan if that is the only setting, and brush a 23 x 33 cm baking dish with a little olive oil.
02
Put the 900 g chopped spinach in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon salt. Massage it for 1-2 minutes until it collapses, then leave it to drain for 10 minutes. Squeeze handfuls very firmly so the spinach is damp but no longer dripping.
⏱ 10 min
03
Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Cook the leek, spring onions, and yellow onion until soft and sweet but not browned, about 6 minutes, then scrape them into a large mixing bowl and cool for a few minutes.
⏱ 6 min
04
Add the squeezed spinach, 250 g feta-style cheese, 2 eggs, dill, parsley, mint, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, nutmeg, and black pepper to the bowl. Mix gently and taste for salt only after the cheese is mixed in, because brined cheese can be quite salty.
05
Unroll the phyllo dough and keep the stack covered with a barely damp towel. Lay one sheet in the dish, letting a little excess climb the sides, and brush lightly with olive oil. Repeat with 5 more sheets, brushing each layer and turning or gently ruffling sheets so air can sit between the layers.
06
Spread the spinach filling evenly over the base in a fairly thin layer. Cover with the remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each with olive oil. Tuck the edges inward to make a rim, brush the top well with oil, and score the surface into 6 squares without cutting all the way through.
07
Bake at 190 C, or 180 C fan, on the lower-middle rack until the top is deeply golden and the base feels crisp when the pan is gently moved, 45-50 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, loosely shield it and continue baking so the lower layers finish cooking.
⏱ 45 min
08
Let the spanakopita rest in the pan for 15 minutes so steam settles and the pastry stays crisp. Cut through the scored lines and serve warm or at room temperature.
⏱ 15 min