Spanakopita

Main

Ingredients

• 1 cup cold water
• Salt and pepper
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups plain flour
• 80g unsalted butter, melted
• 45g lard (optional)
• 1 small bag spinach (80g)
• or a large fresh bunch
• Handful of fresh parsley,
• roughly chopped without the stalks
• Half a handful of fresh mint: around 10
• leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 small brown onion, finely diced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 250g feta, crumbled by hand
• A splash of feta brine
• 250g ricotta
• 2 eggs, brought to room temperature
• 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs (if required)
• Σπανακόπιτα

Method

1. If you're brave enough to make the pastry yourself, add 1 cup of cold water into a large bowl and salt generously. Add vegetable oil and stir
2. Stir in the first cup of flour until well combined. Add in the second cup of flour bit by bit, stirring after each addition. Stop adding the flour when the dough holds its shape but is not firm. Combine the dough into a rough ball and place on a floured surface.
3. Cut the dough into two equal pieces and roll each thinly into a large circle. Melt butter and lard together on a low heat over the stove or in the microwave. Once melted, brush over all of dough to give it a golden sheen. You can be generous with this, but leave some mixture for later
4. Use a sharp knife to cut out a smaller circle in the centre, about the size of a dinner plate. Then, cut the remaining outer ring of dough into wide, triangular segments, like slicing a pizza. Next, layer each slice on top of the centre circle to create a pile. Fold the top side of the base layer over the pile, then fold the bottom side over the pile to make a log. Brush this over lightly with the melted butter mixture. Fold the right side and the left side together, forming a square. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes in a oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth
5. Repeat for the second batch of dough. Roll both dough balls flat into thin circles, one slightly wider than the other. Lightly brush with the remaining butter mixture For the filling
6. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees on fan bake
7. Heat a large saucepan over a low heat and add in spinach with a splash of olive oil. Let it slowly wilt. Remove the saucepan from the heat and then strain the spinach to remove as much moisture as possible. Finely chop and add to a large bowl
8. To the bowl add parsley, mint, onion, lemon juice, pepper, feta, feta brine, ricotta, and eggs. Mix well to combine all ingredients together. If the mixture is too wet, you can add breadcrumbs to thicken it up
9. Butter a large circular baking dish and put the first sheet of pastry (or store-bought filo) in the dish, making sure to let it fold up on the edges to create walls. Pour the mixture on top, and spread evenly. Add your smaller, second sheet of pastry (or store- bought filo) on top to act as a lid, folding it into fit the size of your dish
10. Brush the top with butter to give it a golden finish. Place in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until perfectly golden brown