Cuisine
Albanian
Total Time
1 h 15 minutes
Servings
12
– Phyllo or filo pastry sheets – Spring onion Finely chopped – Spinach Washed and coarsely chopped – Garlic minced – Greek yogurt or hung yogurt – Feta cheese – Butter or olive oil You could use a combination of both – Salt and pepper – Red chili flakes Optional – Olive oil to saute
– Prepare the phyllo pastry sheets. Remove it from the freezer and defrost it as per the instructions. It is very important to properly thaw the sheets; otherwise, it could rip very easily. I have been there and done that several times when I try to rush the thawing process.
– In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the olive oil to it. Mix both wells and keep aside. – Sauté it for about 1 minute and then add the minced garlic . Cook for a minute and then add the chopped spinach.
– Sauté the spinach until the leaves wilt and then remove it from flame. – Transfer the spinach mixture to a large bowl and let it cool a bit.
– Now add the grated/crumbled feta cheese, yogurt, salt and pepper, red chili flakes and mix well. When adding salt, remember that the feta cheese already has salt in it. – Lay one sheet and then brush with the melted butter/oil all over the surface.
– Now add the spinach mixture to the tray and spread evenly. – Top with the remaining sheets of phyllo repeating the process of layering. Liberally brush the topmost layer with the remaining butter/oil mixture. Make sure to seal the edges well so the filling does not ooze out.
– Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for about 45 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown. Check with a knife to see if the bottom-most layer is cooked and crunchy. – Remove from oven and let it cool.
– Slice the Albanian Spinach Pie and serve.