Spiral Spanakopita with Lemon, Feta & Black Sesame

Name: Spiral Spanakopita with Lemon, Feta & Black Sesame
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 500 g Fresh spinach; 200 g Feta; 150 g Ricotta; 4 Spring onions; 2 Garlic cloves; 1 large handful Dill; 1 small handful Mint; 1 small handful Flat-leaf parsley; 1 1/2 Lemon zest; 1 Lemon juice; 1 Egg; 1 small pinch Freshly grated nutmeg; plenty Freshly cracked black pepper; Salt; 8–10 sheets Filo pastry; 80 g Unsalted butter; 2 tbsp Olive oil; 1–2 tbsp Black sesame seeds

I have a strange love for filo pastry. It’s unapologetically crispy and buttery. The Greek’s sure now how to do it properly. My take on the traditional Spanakopita involves a nice swirl. There really isn't much to dislike. For me though, the filling needs to have some life to it. I want loads of lemon running through it, plenty of fresh dill and mint and enough feta to make it properly salty and punchy. The other really important thing is getting as much water out of your spinach as humanly possible. Spinach holds a frankly ridiculous amount of moisture and wet filling is how you end up with sad, soggy filo rather than those beautifully crisp layers we are after.

Prep

15m

Cook

45m

Total

Spiral Spanakopita with Lemon, Feta & Black Sesame

I have a strange love for filo pastry. It’s unapologetically crispy and buttery. The Greek’s sure now how to do it properly. My take on the traditional Spanakopita involves a nice swirl. There really isn't much to dislike. For me though, the filling needs to have some life to it. I want loads of lemon running through it, plenty of fresh dill and mint and enough feta to make it properly salty and punchy. The other really important thing is getting as much water out of your spinach as humanly possible. Spinach holds a frankly ridiculous amount of moisture and wet filling is how you end up with sad, soggy filo rather than those beautifully crisp layers we are after.

Prep

15m

Cook

45m

Total

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

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Step 1

Start with the spinach. Add it to a large frying pan over a medium-high heat with just a tiny splash of water and cook until completely wilted. You may need to do this in batches because what initially looks like enough spinach to feed a small village will very quickly collapse into practically nothing.

For

For the filling

500

Fresh spinach

200

Feta

Per Serving

Calories

410kcal

Fat

30g

Saturates