Feta cheese and spinach pie
Created | Updated May 24, 2007
Ingredients:
500gr Spinach leaves (or chard, which is lovely too, and must be ‘sweated’ in advance)
150gr Feta cheese
1 block of frozen short crust pastry, defrosted thoroughly
Olive oil
Flour
Condiments (tarragon, basil, sage, thyme or other dried herbs you prefer)
Salt and Pepper
1-2 cloves of garlic (optional)
5-7 large closed cup mushrooms, sliced thinly (optional)
Method:
Filling: crumble the cheese into a large bowel and add the condiments, salt and pepper, a dash of olive oil and the garlic (and mushrooms, if you’re using them). I prefer to ‘sweat’ the leaves before putting them in the mixture, as it makes them softer and helps them absorb the flavours. All you need to do is put the leaves in a colander which is then placed over a pan of boiling water on a medium heat on the hob for about five minutes, shaking and moving them occasionally so they don’t dry out. After the leaves are ‘sweated’, add to the filling mixture and mix all the ingredients together until evenly mixed. If using the leaves as they are, make sure you have enough space for them in the bowl initially, before they get wet with the oil and milk from the cheese.
Spread filling in the shell evenly, then roll the third of pastry for the lid and cover the shell, pinching the pastry together so it’s closed properly. Cut two or three slits in the centre of the lid and bake in the oven for twenty minutes on two-hundred degrees Celsius or as recommended on the pastry wrapper.
This is a basic recipe and the filling can be adjusted to suit your personal taste.
Delicious eaten hot or cold, especially with a side of salad. Enjoy!
