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How do YOU make spanakopita?

51 replies

MaMight · 05/10/2009 12:37

I know how one makes spanakopita. I would love to know Mumsnetters' variations and tips.

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BlingLoving · 05/10/2009 16:23

Get in car. Drive to my sister's house. Eat hers.

I have never actually attempted it. Don't know why seeing as I love them.

EccentricaGallumbits · 05/10/2009 16:25

no idea. sounds rude but fun.

bibbitybobbityCAT · 05/10/2009 16:26

I have never even heard of spanakopita!

hf128219 · 05/10/2009 16:27

It's Greek.

Slubberdegullion · 05/10/2009 16:28
Lizzylou · 05/10/2009 16:29

I made it last year, mine was crap, so am now waiting with baited breath for a good recipe.

leothelioness · 05/10/2009 16:30

sounds interesting and a bit naughty!

ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 05/10/2009 16:33

I think the Waitrose food magazine had a recipe for this in it this month, oddly enough.

ajamore · 05/10/2009 16:49

Ooh I love this but am steering clear because I am trying to lose weight. If anyone posts a low fat version I'm interested

serenity · 05/10/2009 17:28

Hmmmmmm now I'm hungry.

But I don't (make it that is) I have a perfectly lovely Cypriot MIL to make it for me, and any recipes she comes up with will involve feeding at least 30 people...

MrsBlennerhasset · 05/10/2009 17:31

COME ON PEOPLE, SOMEONE POST A RECIPE!

yes I know I'm shouting.

serenity · 05/10/2009 17:41

I've got two recipes, but I haven't actually made either of them because my heathen children won't eat spinach. So could post them, but can't guarantee them...

MaMight · 05/10/2009 17:42

Lol at the spanakopita love in the room .

It does sound a bit rude doesn't it.

Here's a recipe.

But I want something tried and tested and more personal than that. Will try and find the recipe I used last time. It was fine iirc, but I want more than fine!

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serenity · 05/10/2009 17:57

Mine are more personal than the BBC (recipe book is one made up by the Hellenic Orthodox Ladies of Jo'burg, so all personal recipes, just in a home published compilation - everything else I've made from here has been awesome

250g phyllo
125g melted butter
125ml oil

Filling
1 1/2 kg fresh spinach or 2 double packs frozen
500g feta, crumbled
2 tablespoons oil
4 spring onions chopped
2 eggs - beaten
salt and pepper
1 cup bechamel sauce
100g grated cheese
2 medium onions chopped
1 tablespoon dill chopped

Trim and wash spinach. Squeeze off excess water and chop. Sauté onions in oil, add spinach and cook gently until water has evaporated. Cool and add rest of the filling ingredients, mix well.

This filling may be used to make a large pie with a top and bottom pastry of buttered phyllo. Little rolls with tucked in sides or triangles can also be made with this filling.

Bake at 180C for +/- 1 hour (for large rectangular dish)

sayanything · 05/10/2009 17:58

Ok, this is my (Cretan) MIL's recipe, she claims it's an old family one, but I have my suspisions, I think she nicked it off a recipe book.

600gr pastry (my MIL assumes I make pastry from scratch, but I, the underserving slattern, always use shop-bought)

For the filling
1kg spinach
10 spring onions, chopped finely
1/2 chopped dill (or dried mint)
200gr mizitrha, a Cretan cheese like ricotta or you could use feta
2 eggs (optional)
salt & pepper
olive oil to brush the pastry

Roughly chop the spinach and put it in large bowl. Add salt and start pressing down with the palm of your hand until it sofens and starts errrmmm...I'm translating from Greek here...errr...surrendering its juices. Or something.

Squeeze as much of the liquid out with your hands and then leave the spinach in a colander to strain for at least 15 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the strained spinach with the chopped spring onions, add the dill (or mint) and mix well. If you're using feta, crumble it into small pieces and add it to the mixture. If you're using mizithra or ricotta just mix it in.

Taste for seasoning and add a little salt if necessary. Add a good pinch of pepper and then the two eggs, beaten if using (I usually do, it binds the filling better).

Stir the mixture one last time and leave it in a cool place

If you have made the pastry from scratch, divide it into two, one piece slightly larger than the other. Take the larger piece and roll out to a piece big enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pie tin you are using.

Brush the tin with oil, line it with the pastry, brush with a bit of oil and add the filling. Tuck in the overhang of the pastry towards the filling. Roll out the second piece of pastry and place it on the tin to cover the filling well.

Score the pie with a sharp knife diagonally and bake at 170C for 45-60 minutes.

Voila. Kali oreksi.

sayanything · 05/10/2009 18:00

Oooh serenity, béchamel sauce in spanakopita. Interesting (I love béchamel).

serenity · 05/10/2009 18:06

Yes interesting indeed. I don't think MIL would use it, but she would use mint (like yours) rather than dill. She puts mint in everything She attempted a lasagne last weekend after I taught her how to make bechamel, and that had mint in it too. It was 'fusion' like a weird mix of lasagne and pastitsio

MrsBlennerhasset · 05/10/2009 18:07

thanks ladies

sayanything · 05/10/2009 18:11

LOL at the lasitsio. Mine just serves bread, yoghurt and lemon with everything, even pasta .

bluebump · 05/10/2009 18:13

My mum makes the best spanakopita, mine seems bland by comparison. I am sure I got a recipe from her but I can't seem to find it so I might try one of the above as now i've been reminded of it, I want it!

Slubberdegullion · 05/10/2009 18:21

This is my favorite thread of the day. Quite apart from this spanakopita sounding utterly divine I am getting a little jolt with the YOU in the thread title being in caps.

I feel like the army chap from the 'Your Country Needs YOU' poster is ordering me to tell him my spanakopita recipe...and I don't have one [yikes].

serenity · 05/10/2009 18:21

(but everything tastes better with yoghurt , well decent yoghurt anyway)

MIL just cooks for 5,000, then makes me take it home afterwards (which is cool, don't have to cook for 2 days a week, but means I have no reason to learn to cook 'proper Greek food')

FWIW Lidl do frozen 'triangle' spanakopita, bit dry imo, but quite nice if you're feeling lazy.

prettybird · 05/10/2009 18:26

I make 9even if I say so myslef ) fantastic small spanakopita which are brilliant as wee canapes. They can also be made in advance and frozen.

I'm just about to go out, so will have to post the recipe later - but having skimmed the other recipes, I'll align myslef with those that use feta, cottage cheese, beaten egges, mint (and parsley) mixed into a shallot and chopped spinach mixture.

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 05/10/2009 18:28

I've only made it a couple of times, as you seem to need armfuls and armfuls of spinach and then when it's cooked down you don't seem to have enough spanakopita to make it worthwhile. And I think the recipe was out of an impersonal book anyway. I may have another go with some of these recipes, though...

MaMight · 05/10/2009 18:42

Lol Slubber.

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