Note: traditionally, as the name implies, spanakopita is made with spinach. However, the spirit of the dish lives on through other greens as well. In the spirit of Nat & E Homecooking, we use what’s readily available in our fridge and our neighbourhood. This time: baby spinach, spring onions, beet leaves, chard, Shanghai pak choi (小棠菜), coriander, and onion⠀
Serves 4
Time: 🕰🕰🕰
Effort: 💪💪
Ingredients:
Half a pack of filo pastry
100g feta cheese
1 egg
Roughly 500-750g of green vegetables
1 garlic clove
Dill
1 squeeze of lemon juice
A dash of ground nutmeg (optional)
Olive oil
Method:
1. Half a day before, take filo pastry out of the freezer to thaw
2. Rummage fridge for leftover greens; wash
3. If using, first wilt the spinach in the pan with a sprinkle of salt, in order to release the water within
4. Once wilted, run spinach through cold water to pause its cooking
5. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible with your hands by pressing through a sieve or muslin cloth
6. Chop rest of the vegetables into even-sized chunks
7. Transfer all vegetables, including the spinach, into a mixing bowl
7. Add feta cheese, egg, dill, and nutmeg
8. Mix well with your hands
9. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice as needed
10. Finish with a turn of black pepper
11. Preheat oven to 200’c
11. Rub the bottom and sides of a roasting tray with olive oil
12. To assemble the pie, lay one layer of filo onto the baking tray (with lots of overhang), then brush with a little olive oil (or just use your fingers)
14. Repeat until two-thirds of the layers are used up – around 8 layers
15. Spoon in the fillings
16. Repeat with around 6 more layers, until you can just about still see the greens underneath
17. Fold the overhang inwards to form the signature crumple
18. Sprinkle with one last layer of olive oil
19. Cut into desired slices
20. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until golden brown
21. Serve hot, or as a cold picnic snack the next day
Nat & E Homecooking 