Spanakopita

Instructions

1

Take the pastry out of the freeze and defrost in the fridge overnight. Let the spinach cook down for about five minutes, stirring occasionally until it’s completely cooked. Drain into a colander and press with the back of a spoon to get rid of as much moisture as possible. Press down with kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture.

2

Return spinach to the pan to further dry out, and add the nutmeg and lemon zest.

3

Turn off the heat and leave until completely cool. Once cold, stir through the egg, crumble in the feta and mix thoroughly. Check the seasoning and add salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

4

Melt the butter ready for brushing the pastry and have a round pie tin buttered. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F/Gas 4.

5

Layer the pastry into the tin, about 4 layers deep. Lay the pastry onto the baking parchment, brush with melted butter and then add the next layer. Don’t worry about the odd hole, as the layers should cover this up. The layers should fall over the side of the tin, these will be folded over the spinach mixture at the end.

6

Place the spinach in the middle of the pie tin (on top of the layered pastry and even it out. Fold over the ends that are falling outside the tin so that they completely cover and prevent any filling from coming out.

7

Add the egg yolk to some melted butter and brush this mixture over the spanakopita. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and sea salt and bake for around 30 minutes, or until golden-brown. Serve in slices.