Greek: Spanakopita-Spinach Pie

[faye_arv]

Spanakopita - Spinach Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 kgr., 3.3 lb fresh spinach
dill
parsley
250 gr. 0.55 lb feta cheese
1 package filo
1/2 cup evaporated milk undiluted
1 cup oil
8 scallions
4-5 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

* Wash the spinach well and cut into smaller pieces.

Next there are two ways to prepare the spinach:

1. Put the spinach in a strainer and add about 1 Ts of salt. Mix well. When you have prepared the rest of the ingredients, take the spinach a little at a time and squeeze out the water. Squeeze it as well as you can, the water in the spinach will make the spanakopika soggy!

2. Add to a pot and turn on the heat until the water has evaporated. Then add the herbs (cut) with a little oil, stir a couple of times and set aside to prepare the filo.

* Cut the scallions, dill, parsley in a large bowl (or directly into the pot to sate a little, depends on which method you use)

* Add the spinach, cubed feta, 1/2 of the oil, pepper, salt (be careful if you used the squeezing method not to make it salty feta is a bit salty too), lightly beaten eggs.

* Oil the bottom of a round pan (preferably) and add the first sheet of filo. Oil the top of that sheet and add another one. Keep doing this until you add aprox. half the filo sheets. Keep in mind that the sheets should be rotated so that there is filo all around the pan and that when you cover it up there won't be more in one place than another.

* Add the spinach etc.

* Sprinkle with the bread crumbs

* Add the rest of the filo adding oil on top of each new filo sheet (except for the last one on top)

* Roll the ends inwards so it looks nice or cut them out, whatever is easier for you

* Take a sharp knife and cut the pieces of the spanakopita (not all the way through just as a guide for cutting later)

* Pour the rest of the oil on top of the last filo sheet mixed with a little undiluted evaporated milk (the milk gives the spanakopita a nice brown color)

Cook until it has a nice brown color aprox. 1 hour at 180 degrees C aprox. 356 degrees F.

[pdswife]

One of my favorites. I love this warm out of the oven. Thanks!!!!!

[LadyCook61]

thanks for sharing the recipe, it sounds delicious !

[kitchenelf]

I can't make this anymore - haven't made it in years. It seems my goal is to make it disappear as quickly as possible!!!!!!!!!!!! I see you use oil versus butter. Maybe I'll try it using my Sicilian olive oil instead of all that butter.

I've never used the evaporated milk - I'm pretty sure my recipe calls for cottage cheese? I can't wait to try your recipe - YUM!!!!

[BreezyCooking]

My Czech grandmother made the very BEST Spanokopita ever!! (At least in my opinion, & I've tried many versions.)

She only used chopped spinach, chopped onion, dill, & feta cheese in hers - no eggs, milk, bread crumbs, etc. - & wrapped the filling up in the phyllo "strudel style". It was absolutely to die for, & still is, since that's the way I continue to make it today.

A holiday wasn't a holiday unless Grandma brought this along. My dad would reheat it, slice it, & serve it along with our holiday cocktails. I serve it the same way, although frequently hubby & I have it all by its lonesome for a light lunch or supper.

[Dina]

I make something similar except I add bacon bits and made into bite size pies. I like your recipe Faye. Thanks for sharing.

[faye_arv]

I'm glad you liked it :-)

Something that a friend of mine does (I think they do it in Macedonia-Salonika) is when he takes it out of the oven and it is still hot, he opens it a little and adds yogurt.

It's a good combination :-)

[jkath]

oh how I LOVE spanikopita!!!
I had the perfect recipe and then someone "borrowed" my book that it was in and never returned it!