So I have searched every website out there to find an acceptable spanakopita, sorry, I mean spanakotripita, recipe, and I think this one will work.

 

Here’s the thing: phyllo dough is an absolute pain in the backside to work with. It freaks me out every time. So kudos to those who choose to make their own. Even the frozen kind is challenging for me.

 

I found this recipe at https://www.themediterraneandish.com/spanakopita-recipe-greek-spinach-pie. The best thing about this site is that they have many photographs and even videos really documenting each step.

 

Check their website out. Honestly - it’s so well done. They make it look actually easy to do.

 

Another note: I got into a significant argument with a Greek-American colleague about whether a spinach pie with feta was spanakotiropita or just spanakopita. He was insistent that all spanakopita included cheese - it didn’t need to be mentioned specifically. Note that this is counter to the point that Darby made in the episode. We ended up at a Greek restaurant in Chicago (Greek Islands!) and they listed their spinach and cheese pie as… spanakotiropita! Victory. Nike.

 

Serves 4

 

INGREDIENTS

Filling:

• 16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained

• 2 bunches flat-leaf parsley, stems trimmed, finely chopped

• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 4 eggs

• 10.5 oz quality feta cheese, crumbled

• 2 tsp dill weed

• Freshly-ground black pepper

Crust:

• 16 oz package of frozen phyllo dough (thawed)

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil or melted butter - you know you want to use the butter

 

STEPS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Before you begin mixing the filling, be sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.

3. To make the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until all is well-combined.

4. Unroll the phyllo sheets and place them between two very lightly damp kitchen cloths.

5. Prepare a 9 1/2″ X 13″ baking dish. Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with olive oil or butter.

6. To assemble the spanakotiropita: Line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo letting them cover the sides of the dish. Brush with olive oil. Add two more sheets in the same manner, and brush them with olive oil. Repeat until two-thirds of the phyllo is used up.

7. Now, evenly spread the spinach and feta filling over the phyllo crust. Top with two more sheets, and brush with olive oil.

8. Continue to layer the phyllo sheets, two-at-a-time, brushing with olive oil, until you have used up all the sheets. Brush the very top layer with olive oil, and sprinkle with just a few drops of water.

9. Fold the flaps or excess from the sides, you can crumble them a little. Brush the folded sides well with olive oil.

10. Bake in the 325 degrees F heated-oven for 1 hour, or until the phyllo crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Cut into squares and serve! Enjoy!

 

Just go to https://www.themediterraneandish.com/spanakopita-recipe-greek-spinach-pie and follow the step-by-step there. It’s brilliant.

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Photo by Drew Vahrenkamp