Spanakopita

Filling

• spinach1 kg
• spring onions6
• feta300 g
• eggs3
• dill4 tbsp
• flat-leaf parsley3 tbsp
• olive oil3 tbsp
• nutmeg
• black pepper

Pastry

• filo pastry12 sheets
• butter100 g
• olive oil2 tbsp

Filling

1. 01

   Wash the spinach and wilt it in a large dry pan in batches, then tip into a colander and cool.

2. 02

   Squeeze the spinach out in a cloth until almost no water comes. This is the step that decides whether the base is crisp or grey and soggy.

3. 03

   Chop it roughly. Slice the spring onions, crumble the feta and chop the dill and parsley, then mix them into the spinach with the olive oil, freshly grated nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper. Taste now, before the raw eggs go in; the feta usually brings enough salt. Beat the eggs and stir them in last.

Pastry

4. 04

   Heat the oven to 180°C. Melt the butter and mix it with the olive oil.

5. 05

   Brush a 30 × 20 cm baking tin with the butter and oil mixture and lay in six sheets of filo, brushing each one and letting the edges overhang. Keep the unused sheets under a damp cloth or they crack.

6. 06

   Spread the filling evenly, fold the overhang in, then layer the remaining six sheets on top, brushing as you go.

7. 07

   Score the top layers into portions before baking — cutting after baking shatters the whole thing.

8. 08

   Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Rest 15 minutes before cutting through.