Crustless zucchini pie (Batzina)

Batzina is a crustless pie originating from Epirus and Thessaly in Northern Greece. Greeks refer to it as the 'lazy pie' because you don't need to worry about prepping the dough – it can be thrown together quickly and easily. The grated zucchini, creamy feta and eggs make the pie incredibly moist, with the dill and mint adding freshness and flavour.

Crustless zucchini pie (Batzina) Credit: Jeremy Simons

• serves

  8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

It is important to get the thickness of your pie right. You don't want it too thick, so use the pan size specified to ensure a gorgeous golden crust and perfectly set filling.

Ingredients

• 600 g zucchini, coarsely grated
• sea salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper
• 4 eggs
• 1 large handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 small handful of dill fronds, finely chopped
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 200 g Greek feta, crumbled
• finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 200 g gluten-free self-raising flour
• 80 g (½ cup) sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Resting time: 20 minutes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Grease a 25 cm × 30 cm baking tray.
2. Toss the grated zucchini with a pinch of salt, place in a colander and set aside for 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture from the zucchini.
3. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the zucchini, mint, dill, spring onion, feta, lemon zest, olive oil and a pinch of salt and white pepper, and mix to combine. Add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until you have a thick batter.
4. Sprinkle half the sesame seeds over the base of the prepared tray, then spoon in the batter and spread out evenly. Drizzle with olive oil (or use oil spray if you prefer) and sprinkle on the remaining sesame seeds. Bake for 45 minutes or until the pie is golden. Cool slightly and serve warm. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days and reheat prior to serving if you wish.

 

Gluten-Free Mediterranean by Helen Tzouganatos, published by Plum, (RRP $44.99). Photography by Jeremy Simons.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

It is important to get the thickness of your pie right. You don't want it too thick, so use the pan size specified to ensure a gorgeous golden crust and perfectly set filling.