As with ethnic food all over the world there are as many versions of Spanakopita as there are Greek Islands, so I am happy to share with you the version I learned to make at the cooking class I took in Athens at THE GREEK KITCHEN. Our class was small with only 6 students which made our hands-on experience so enjoyable! It's really fun to make, easy and so versatile. 😋
Ingredients
- 1 package frozen phyllo dough (defrosted overnight in the refrigerator)
- 50ml EVOO (4-5 Tablespoons)
- 2 spring onions (aka scallions or green onions)
- 300g spinach, fresh, wilted (1 ½ -2 cups)
- 1/4 bunch of mint
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano
- 1 leek
- 200g feta cheese, crumbled (8 ounces)
- generous amount of freshly ground pepper
- salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 355°F, set to fan mode if possible.
- Finely chop spinach, mint, spring onions, dill, and leek. Add them to a large bowl.
- Add 2 ½ Tablespoons of the EVOO, salt, pepper, oregano and the feta cheese to the bowl. Stir and your filling is ready!
- Remove the phyllo dough from the package and cut the tape with scissors and spread the sheets of phyllo out on a clean working surface.
- Dip a pastry brush into the remaining EVOO and drizzle over the sheet of phyllo dough without letting the brush directly touch the phyllo. The reason you don’t allow the brush to touch the sheets is that the sheets will stick together and won’t bake correctly.
- Cover with a second sheet of phyllo and drizzle with EVOO.
- Spread the filling in a straight line and roll the phyllo, then shape it into a spiral-like form and place it in the pan.
- Eggwash the top of the formed spiral, drizzle a small amount of EVOO, sprinkle with some sesame seeds, and finally sprinkle some water sparingly to prevent drying out.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the spirals are golden.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes: Spanakopita is wonderful on its own as a main dish but can also be cut into 2-3 inch pieces and served as an appetizer with Tzatziki sauce for dipping. You can really substitute any leafy vegetable or cheese you like to make your own family favorite.
“The Greek Kitchen”
Athens, Athinas 36, Athina 105 51, Greece
+306978464701
