Spanakopita, English Style

ellypear's posterous

Design: Luka Cvrk, Solucija.com

360 g baby leaf spinach, washed and throughly dried.
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, diced
Small handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Small handful fresh dill, finely chopped
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 eggs, lightly beaten
250 g soft ewe's milk cheese, e.g. Homewood Cheeses soft ewe's cheese (or feta mixed with ricotta)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
75m l olive oil
Filo pastry, half a pack
3 new potatoes per person, cut into quarters (to serve)
Green salad (to serve)

1. Soften onions in oil. Add spinach, parsley and dill. Cook for 5mins. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Leave to cool. Drain off all excess liquid.

2. Mix cheese and eggs well together in a large bowl and add spinach mix.

3. Melt butter and oil together and use to grease a baking dish, approx 6"x10", over base and all sides.

4. Line dish with 2 layers of filo, buttering between each layer, making sure pastry comes up and over the edges of the dish.

5. Pour egg/spinach mixture into dish.

6. Butter edges of dish and lay another sheet over the top to cover mixture. You may need 2 sheets, depending on size of dish.

7. Fold edges in, over the top sheet, and roll in to make an edge. Butter entire top again!

8. Gently crumple another sheet as you lay it over the top, to make a textured top layer. Butter again.

9. Use any leftover butter/oil mix to coat some new potatoes to roast alongside the pie, going in 20mins after the pie.

10. Bake at 180C for 45 to 50 mins, until set and top is brown. Potatoes should be ready at the same time.

11. Serve hot, warm or cold, with green salad.