SPINACH:
- 300g spinach leaves , chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
FILLING:
- 175g Greek feta , crumbled
- 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp mint , finely chopped
- 1 tbsp dill , finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- black pepper
- salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
FILO PASTRY:
- 16 sheets filo pastry
- 120g butter , melted
- 60g Greek Kefalotyri cheese , finely grated (sub parmesan)
- white sesame seeds (or more black)
- black sesame seeds (or more white)
- Preheat oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan). Line a tray with baking paper / parchment paper.
FILLING:
- Sweat spinach: Place spinach in a large colander or bowl. Sprinkle with salt, toss through. Leave for 10 minutes to sweat.
- Wring out water: Place a handful of spinach in a tea towel, then wring out tightly to remove excess water.
- Filling: Place spinach in a bowl with remaining Filling ingredients. Mix well to combine.
ASSEMBLY:
- 8 base layers: Layer 8 sheets of filo pastry on the tray, brushing each layer with melted butter.
- Filling: Spread filling on filo pastry. Smooth surface and leave a 2.5cm / 1″ border.
- 8 Filo topping layers (Note 4): Cover spinach with a sheet of filo pastry. Brush with butter, sprinkle with Kefalotyri. Repeat for Sheets #2 to #5. Then cover with filo sheets #6 to #8, brushing with butter in between, but do NOT sprinkle with cheese (neater finish).
- Seal: Press edges down to seal. Crimp and trim if desired (see process steps in post or video) or just leave the edges flat on the tray.
- Sesame seeds: Brush the top with butter, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake: Bake 25 minutes, or until golden brown on the surface.
- Serve! Serve immediately! It is at its absolute prime fresh out of the oven, though still good as long as its hot (~15 min or so). The base does lose crispiness as it cools.
