Savory pumpkin-onion skillet pie

In my humble opinion, this is one of the greatest Greek recipes in the entire Aegean! With two basic ingredients, a good frying pan and some manual deftness, you’ll create a simple, elegant skillet pie that is a paean to the simplicity of the Mediterranean Diet.

Credit: My Greek Table

• makes

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

This particular version is from Naxos (see it being made here); similar dishes are made in Samos and other parts of the North Aegean.

Ingredients

• 8 cups peeled, seeded “sticks” of pumpkin or butternut pumpkin (see Note)
• 6 large red onions, halved and cut into 3 mm (⅛-inch) slices
• Salt to taste
• Flour as needed, about 3-6 tablespoons
• Extra virgin Greek olive oil, for frying

Instructions

1. Combine the finger-sized pieces of pumpkin/squash, onion and a little salt, to taste, in a large mixing bowl. Add flour as needed in two-tablespoon increments, tossing the mixture continuously with a large mixing spoon or your hands, until it is a little gummy from the flour.
2. In a large, deep frying pan, heat about 5-6 mm (¼ inch) of olive oil. Take 3½ cups of the filling and empty it into the frying pan, flattening out with the back of a spoon so that it looks like a large, thick pancake. Fry over medium heat until the bottoms are brown and crusty and the begetables are about two-thirds cooked (about 8-10 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and place a large plate or the frying pan lid on top, making sure that either covers the entire surface and then some. Using pot holders, very carefully drain any excess oil, then flip the hot frying pan over so that the cooked side of the skillet pie is on top. Slide that back into the pan to continue cooking on the other side, until golden and cooked through (about 5 minutes). Slip onto a platter, replenish the olive oil as necessary and continue making more skillet pies in the same way, until the squash mixture is used up.

Note

• Diane’s original recipe also suggests red winter squash such as calabasa, which is not common in Australia.

• The pumpkin should be cut into finger-size pieces.

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.

This particular version is from Naxos (see it being made here); similar dishes are made in Samos and other parts of the North Aegean.