Ingredients
Filling
- 1.5 kgspinach, or a mix of spinach and wild greens
- 1large bunch dill
- 4spring onions
- 1onion
- 1 bunchflat parsley
- 300 gfeta, crumbled
- 150 ganthotyro or ricotta, optional
- 3eggs
- grated nutmeg
- black pepper
- olive oil
Pastry
- 450 gfilo pastry
- 150 mlgood olive oil, for brushing
- or melted butter
To finish
- sesame seeds
Equipment
- a large baking tin
- a pastry brush
To serve
- warm or at room temperature
Directions
- Wash the spinach thoroughly and shake it dry. Shred the spinach finely, toss it with a tablespoon of salt, and leave it in a colander for 30 minutes. Salting and squeezing raw spinach removes more water than wilting does and keeps a fresher, greener flavour.
- Keep squeezing until no more comes and the mass is genuinely dry to the touch. If you do wilt the greens instead, squeeze them just as hard afterwards. Cool them before they meet the cheese, or the heat starts setting the eggs.
- Chop the dill and parsley and use far more dill than seems reasonable. Dill is the herb that makes a spanakopita taste Greek rather than generic, and a small scattering is not enough.
- Mix the squeezed greens with the onions, herbs, crumbled feta, the soft cheese if using, and the eggs. Season with nutmeg and plenty of black pepper. Feta is very salty and the greens were salted already, so it may need none at all.
- Keep the stack covered with a damp tea towel at all times, uncovering only the sheet you are using. Filo dries out in under a minute of exposure and then shatters into useless flakes. Let frozen filo thaw completely in the fridge overnight rather than rushing it. Brush the tin with oil and lay in a sheet, letting it overhang.
- Brush each sheet with olive oil before laying the next. Brush every single sheet, right to the edges. Use olive oil rather than butter, which is the village way and gives a better flavour.
- Spread the filling evenly over. Fold the overhanging edges in over the top and brush them. Cut through only the top sheets, not down to the filling. Brush the whole surface with oil and sprinkle over sesame seeds. A few drops of water on the surface stops the top layers curling and browning too fast, which is an old Greek trick.
- Bake at 180°C (355°F) for 45 to 50 minutes until deep golden and crisp all the way through. Bake it properly. A pale spanakopita is soggy underneath and the base must be cooked as thoroughly as the top. Rest it for at least 20 minutes before cutting. It is best warm or at room temperature rather than hot from the oven. Cut along the score lines and serve it as squares or diamonds.
Technique
- Hortopita, made with wild greens, is the older version and is worth making if you can gather them.
- Village versions use homemade pastry rather than filo and are thicker.
- It keeps two days and the pastry softens, so it is refreshed in a hot oven.
Substitutions
- Frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed extremely dry.
- Butter in place of olive oil, which is richer and less traditional.
Variations
- Hortopita, with wild greens.
- Made as small triangles, as party food.
- With rice or bulgur added to the filling.
History
Wild greens and filo pie of the Greek countryside, where horta gathered in spring filled the pastry before spinach became common.
Frequently asked questions
What is Spanakopita?
Spanakopita is a bread & pastry from Greece: spinach and feta phyllo pie. Wild greens and filo pie of the Greek countryside, where horta gathered in spring filled the pastry before spinach became common.
How long does Spanakopita take to make?
Spanakopita takes 50 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 12 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Spanakopita?
Yes, within limits. Frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed extremely dry. Butter in place of olive oil, which is richer and less traditional.
What is the most important thing to get right in Spanakopita?
Chop the dill and parsley and use far more dill than seems reasonable. Dill is the herb that makes a spanakopita taste Greek rather than generic, and a small scattering is not enough.
