Spanakopita, from Nastia

Pies have a great part in Greek tradition, we make them for holidays, funerals, memorials, Christmas, Easter, as a main dish as an appetiser, or as a dessert. There are also sweet pies, such as Bougatsa (cream pie).

I made Spanakopita (Spinach pie) yesterday, with home made leaves and fresh spinach. For a big pan you will need:

750gr Flour for pies (26oz, or 1.6lbs, approx. 6 cups)

1 kg (2.2lbs) fresh spinach

5-6 fresh onions (the green ones)

about 100gr (3.5oz) anise finelly chopped

500gr (17.5oz, a little over a pound) feta cheese

2 tbsp vinegar

olive oil

Cold water/salt pepper

In a large pan fill with water until in the middle, wash the spinach thoroughly and add to the cold water, light the kitchen scald the spinach in hot water until soft (dont boil the water and make sure the leaves are nice and green, not over boiled) take off the spinach wait a little and then squeeze all the water out.

In a pan put some olive oil, the onions (chopped) and the anise, stir fry, add spinach and mix well, add salt and pepper, turn off the heat and leave the pan without cover.

Prepare the leaves.

Make a dough with flour, water, and vinegar, has to be soft and not sticky, if the water is cold the dough is better, separate in 18 small balls. Using a rolling pin make small pitas puting three of them one over the other with olive oil in the middle (Pita-oil-pita-oil-pita) that will give you six triplets of pitas. sprad olive oil in a pan, preheat the oven at 180C (I think 350F)

Take the first triplet and with the rolling pin make a big pastry leaf (must cover the pan), put it in the pan, spread olive oil make second leave, spread olive oil, make third leave, add the spinach mix and feta cheese crumbs until well covered, continue with the rest of the leaves (three at bottom three on top) Turn the leaves edges on the inside of the pan (they make a yummy crust after bake) Spread olive oil and some milk on top of the pie and cut it in square pieces.

Bake for an hour or until brownish.

Tip in order to prevent the leaves from sticking on the kitchen counter you can spread some corn flour on the counter.

Tip, if you use cold carbonated water for the dough it will become more crunchy.

Tip, find a rolling pin that suits you I prefer something like this

which is made of wood but a plastic one will do the same job.

(imperial measures are editor's estimates - results may vary)