My grandmother used to bake spinach pie in the wood oven. The delicious flavor and the amazing smell is one of my strongest childhood memory.
She liked adding aromatic herbs and feta cheese, usually a present by a shepherd from our mountain village.
SPINACH PIE WITH OUZO & GREEK CHEESE FETA
INGREDIENTS
FOR 4-6 PEOPLE- 1 kg of spinach, washed and chopped
- 1 ounce of ouzo aperitif
- 300 g Greek cheese feta
- 4 spring onions
- ½ bunch of dill chopped
- Freshly ground pepper
- Salt
- 150 ml olive oil
- Sesame seeds
- 2 country phyllo sheet
IMPLEMENTATION
Preparation Time 30' Cooking difficulty: MediumTo cook spinach add a little water in the pot, pour into the spinach leaves and let evaporate completely for 3-4 minutes. Strain them very well and place in a basin.
Sauté finally chopped spring onion in olive oil. Add spinach and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes.
Pour ouzo and continue for 3 minutes.
Continue adding crumbled feta cheese, salt, pepper and low steam thoroughly.
Strain, place in a basin and combine with dill.
Sprinkle flour on the workbench .
Apply the country sheet and cut vertically to have the 5 elongated sheets. Divide the filling on each sheet, close its edges and shape it like a roller or like small baton.
Grease a non stick baking pan or silicon moulds, place the spinach rollers or batons inside them.
Grease lightly their surface and sprinkle sesame seeds.
Bake in preheated oven at 200 ° C, first at low shelf of the oven for 10 minutes to cook the bottom of pie and continue to the middle shelf for 10 minutes more.
Tips
We must be careful so the spinach mix isn’t too juicy. If our spinach mix is too juicy then pour 1-2 tablespoons of bread crumbs.
If you don’t have ouzo you could replace it with white wine.
Andriana’s wine proposal
RITINITIS NOBILIS FROM GAIA WINESA traditional white wine from the new Retsina’s era.
Retsina is a flavored wine with resin of Aleppo trees.
Ritinitis Nobilis, probably the best modern Retsina in Greece, has been mentioned by Eric Asimov, the wine critic, in New York Times magazine.
It comes from Roditis variety, cultivated in semi-mountains vineyards at 550m attitude in Nemea region.
The wine has color of white yellow and green shades, aromas of citrus and pine resin with vibrant crispy acidity.
The perfect pairing for the Mediterranean cuisine.