Bear’s Spanakopita
BEAR’S SPANAKOPITA
Most online recipes make you read through a 1,500 word essay on the origin story, fit with ads where the ‘x’ is buried somewhere on an unrelated image, when you finally locate it, you accidentally click on the ad instead of the microscopic ‘x’ redirecting you to buy a brand new Mazda 3. I’m not going to do that to you.
All I will say is this recipe came from my mum, and it is the perfect thing to cook to make it look like you’ve put in a mammoth slog in the kitchen, but really its been half an hour with minimal mess. You’re welcome.
Baked for friends at 11pm. Who doesn’t love a second dinner?!
INGREDIENTS
5 eggs
one jumbo bag of spinach (more is more)
a block of feta
a handful of grated cheddar
filo pastry (defrost before attempting to use)
pepper
dried oregano
dried rosemary
1 teaspoon melted butter
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)
METHOD
Take your filo pastry out of the freezer about 30 mins before you start cooking. Preheat oven to 180°C. Wilt the spinach in a pan over medium heat, then set aside to cool. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add a healthy crack of pepper, and approximately half a teaspoon of both oregano and rosemary (adjust to your taste). Crumble the feta into the egg mixture, and add in grated cheddar to combine. When spinach is completely cool, add to egg and cheese mixture. Using a square baking dish, lay one sheet of filo pastry across the base (overhang is good), then alternate directions using 3-4 sheets. Pour your mixture into the pastry base, and fold the overhang into the middle. Use an extra couple of sheets for the ‘lid’ - I like to fold mine in half so I get a thicker crispy top. Melt the butter and brush over the top layer of pastry, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is a rich golden colour.
Serves 4 (or cut into smaller pieces and serve as an appetiser).
Every time I cook this meal, this video runs on repeat in my head. If you don’t watch it, the image titles won’t make sense to you. Your loss.
Bon Appétit,
BEAR.