Kathy Tsaples' Spanakopita

Ingredients

375g Antoniou Fillo Pastry
100g clarified butter, melted
100ml olive oil

For the filling
2 bunches English spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup olive oil
1 brown onion, diced
4 spring onions, finely chopped
300g feta cheese, roughly crumbled
2 eggs
1 tablespoon rice
Pepper, for seasoning

Filo Pastry recipe Kathy staples spanakopita recipe
Filo Pastry recipe Kathy staples spanakopita

Method

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

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Combine your melted clarified butter and olive oil and set aside.

For the filling
Place the chopped spinach in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Using your hands, squeeze the excess liquid out of the spinach. Transfer to a large bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the white onions and spring onions, and cook until soft and translucent. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and transfer to the bowl with the spinach. Mix until well combined. Add the feta cheese, eggs, rice and pepper and mix well.

Assembling the Spanakopita
Brush a 25cm by 25cm square tray with oil and butter.

Lay one sheet of Filo Pastry on your bench, with the long side of the Pastry facing you. Brush with oil and butter. Repeat with two more sheets of Fillo Pastry, so you have three sheets of Pastry in total. Fold the sheets of Pastry horizontally to the centre point of the Pastry, creating a thicker layer of Pastry to place the Spanakopita filling on. Brush with butter and oil. Spoon approximately 3 tablespoons of the Spanakopita filling along this thicker folded section of Pastry. Tuck in the sides and then roll the Pastry into a log. Gently and loosely scrunch the log slightly together, this will create pockets of air and help crisp the Pastry while it cooks. Transfer the log to your baking tray and brush with butter and oil. Repeat this process until your tray is full.

Brush the top of the Spanakopita with some water. Using a sharp knife, score the top of your Spanakopita logs in thirds (or to whatever size you want to make your individual logs), this will allow steam to escape while the Spanakopita is cooking. Cook for 45 minutes or until the Pastry is golden brown.

Recipe by Kathy Tsaples from Sweet Greek.

Video by Tim Anastasi Stationary Movement Film.