Spanakopita (spinach and feta pie)

Prep 30 min
Cook 35 min
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1kg whole leaf spinach*
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
120g butter, melted
2 leeks, washed and finely sliced
2 eggs, beaten
325g feta, crumbled
270g filo pastry

Method

Wash the spinach, then put it in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Massage with your hands until it begins to break down and wilt, then leave to drain.

Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan over a medium heat, add a tablespoon of the butter, season with salt and pepper, then gently fry the leeks for five to six minutes, until soft. Take off the heat and transfer to a bowl.

Squeeze the spinach again (you want it as dry as can be), then put it in a bowl with the eggs and feta. Taste and season, if needed. Pour in the remaining oil, then mix everything with your hands.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and brush a medium-sized baking dish with some of the remaining butter. Line it with half the pastry, brushing more butter between each sheet and leaving any excess pastry hanging over the sides. Add the spinach mix, then layer the remaining pastry on top, brushing butter between each sheet as before.

Pull up any overhanging pastry and fold it inwards, then brush the top layer with the remaining butter and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving – this is delicious with a green salad.

This recipe appeared in the Guardian (Thomasina Miers’)

* Note that baby spinach is too soft for this recipe, but chard would work brilliantly: use the leaves as you would the spinach, and slice the stalks into slithers, then cook them with the leeks.