Ma's spanakopita (σπανακοπιτα| συνταγες μαμας)

It has been a while between posts but I'm back with one of my favourite classic Greek dishes, spanakopita. This was one of the dishes that Ma would regularly make for us, after we were first married. A quick visit after work or on the weekend would often see us returning home from Ma's kitchen with a warm tapsi (the big silver pan) of spanakopita, swaddled in freshly laundered tea towels. 

Ma's version of this Greek classic combines country style homemade fyllo dough with a filling of spinach, leeks, shallots, dill and feta. It is absolutely moorish and very hard to limit yourself to one slice. Any variety of spinach can be used and homegrown is always best! If you are using large leafed silverbeet, be sure to remove the thick stems and use only the green leafy part. 

I couldn't wait to learn how to make Ma's version of this dish, but I was slightly anxious about how to  replicate the country style fyllo.  To learn this recipe and start to understand the art of fyllo, Ma suggested that I should sit and watch her make the pita - over a few different occasions. I think it must take at least 60 years in the kitchen, regularly practising, to get fyllo making down to a fine art. But to help us all at home, under Ma's direction, I have made this little video. The full recipe is also set out below. Enjoy! 

Ma's spanakopita (σπανακοπιτα| συνταγες μαμας)

​Ingredients

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For the dough

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4 cups of flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp Greek wine vinegar

4 tbs EVOO

1 & 1/2 tea cups of warm water

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For the filling

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200g of good quality Greek DOC feta, crumbled

2 bunches of shallots, finely chopped

2 leeks, finely chopped

2 bunches of spinach, finely shredded 

1 bunch of dill, finely chopped

2 eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Preaheat oven to 170C. Start by preparing the dough. In a bowl, add the flour and create a well in the center. Add the salt, vinegar and EVOO. Gradually add the water (you may not need to add all of it) and mix all the dough ingredients. The dough should be firm and soft and easily peel off your hands. Take a seperate bowl and brush with EVOO. Place the dough in the bowl and brush the top and sides of the dough wth EVOO. Set the dough aside for at least half an hour. 

2. In the meantime, prepare the filling. Wash and clean the spinach well. Shred finely and place in a large bowl. Add a little salt and then rub/crush the spinach with your hands to make it wilt. Set aside while you clean and prepare the other ingredients. The spinach should accumulate some liquid in the bottom of the bowl, drain this off. Next, add the chopped shallots, leek and dill. Mix well to combine. Finally, add the crumbled feta and eggs. Mix well to combine. Add a little seasoning (be careful with salt as this would already have been added to the spinach.)

3. Divide the dough into two parts, the bottom sheet (2/3 of the dough) and the top sheet (1/3 of the dough). 

4. On a clean and floured work surface, 'open' (rollout) the two sheets of fyllo. When each sheet is nearly rolled out, drizzle lightly with EVOO.

5. Fold back the corner of each sheet of dough, onto the oil drizzled part, one and a time, and roll out as much as you can, The oil should help the dough stretch a little further and become thinner, without tearing. 

6. In an oiled baking dish, place the bottom sheet (it should also cover the sides of the dish). Carefully pour the filling onto the fyllo lined baking dish, making sure it is the same thickness across the dish. Cover with the top sheet and join the two sheets by folding the edges inwards. 

7. Brush the pita with a little EVOO, use a fork to create a few holes and bake at 170 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown. When ready, remove the pie from the oven and if desired, brush with a little more EVOO. Best served warm or at room temperature.