Spanakopita spiral

Spanakopita translates as 'spinach pie' and this spiral is brimming with both spinach and feta cheese.

Credit: Antoniou Fillo Pastry

• serves

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 375 g filo pastry
• 2 bunches English spinach, finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
• ½ bunch mint, finely chopped
• Cracked pepper
• 400 feta, crumbled into chunks
• 2 tbsp rice, uncooked
• ¾ cup olive oil

For this recipe, take your chilled Filo Pastry out of the fridge at least 2 hours before you begin, to bring it up to room temperature.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced). Line a 30-33cm baking tray with baking paper.
2. For the filling, place the chopped spinach in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
3. Using your hands, one handful at a time, squeeze the excess liquid out of the spinach. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the spring onions, parsley, mint, pepper, feta and rice to the bowl and mix until well combined.
4. To assemble, place one sheet of Fillo Pastry on your workbench, with the long face of the pastry facing you. Brush with olive oil. Place another sheet of pastry on top and brush with oil.
5. Spread 4 heaped tablespoons of the filling along the length of the pastry, approximately one inch from the bottom of the pastry, and 1cm from each of the pastry sides. Roll tightly to form a log. Coil the pastry into a log and transfer it to the centre of the baking tray.
6. Continue to make the spanakopita logs with the remaining pastry and filling, wrapping each log around the first centre coil to form a larger spiral. Brush with olive oil.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

 

Recipe from Antoniou Fillo Pastry. Photography by Effi Tsoukatos.

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.