This spinach and cheese filo pie may be considered ordinary, everyday fare in Greece but I absolutely love it. You can use another crumbly, not-too-rich cheese, such as ricotta or a mild goat’s cheese, in place of the feta or kefalotyri, although it won’t provide quite the same flavour.
SERVES 6
750g spinach, stems removed, well washed
6 salad onions, trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced
250g feta or kefalotyri cheese, crumbled
2 medium eggs
20g parsley, leaves only, finely snipped
10g dill, leaves only, finely snipped
30g Greek black Corinthe raisins, blanched, refreshed and thoroughly drained
120ml light olive oil
6 sheets of ready-made filo pastry, 30 x 18cm
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Plunge the spinach leaves into the boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds–1 minute, then refresh and drain, squeezing the leaves between your hands to remove as much water as possible. Using a large chef’s knife, roughly chop the spinach and set aside in a large bowl.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
Add the salad onions, cheese and eggs to the spinach and mix with a fork until evenly combined. Add the parsley, dill and raisins and season well with pepper and a little salt, bearing in mind that the cheese is very salty.
Lightly oil a baking tin, about 30 x 20cm, or a 22cm springform cake tin, about 3 or 4cm high. Brush the filo sheets, one at a time, on both sides with the olive oil, then layer them in the tin to line the base and sides, without packing them down; allow to overhang the rim of the tin generously.
Fill the filo pastry case with the spinach mixture, then bring each overhanging filo sheet over the spinach filling, creasing it a little as you do so. Brush olive oil over the top of the creased filo sheets that form the top of the pie, then sprinkle a few drops of water over the filo near the edge of the mould so that they don’t burn or colour too much. Bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes.
Leave the pie to rest for 5 minutes before unmoulding. To serve, present the pie whole at the table on a dish or wooden board and cut into slices to serve.