Equipment
Ingredients
Filling
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 200 g leek, cleaned and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 50 g spring onions, finely chopped
- 10 g garlic, minced
- 500 g fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped if leaves are large
- 15 g fresh dill, finely chopped
- 10 g fresh mint, finely chopped
- 200 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Topping
- 150 g phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
- 50 g unsalted butter, melted
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. Thoroughly wash your leeks to remove any hidden grit, then slice them.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a 25cm (10-inch) cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and spring onions, sautéing until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Begin adding the spinach in batches, tossing frequently. Cook until the spinach is fully wilted and all excess liquid in the pan has completely evaporated. This is critical to prevent a soggy crust.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the fresh dill, mint, crumbled feta, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Quickly mix in the lightly beaten eggs until evenly distributed. Smooth the top of the mixture into an even layer.
Lay a sheet of phyllo dough flat on your workstation. Brush it lightly with melted butter. Loosely scrunch or crinkle the sheet like an accordion and place it on top of the spinach mixture in the skillet. Repeat with the remaining sheets until the entire surface is covered in ruffled pastry. Brush any remaining butter over the top.
Transfer the cast iron skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the phyllo pastry is deeply golden and shatteringly crisp, and the internal temperature of the filling reaches 74°C/165°F.
Remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This allows the egg and cheese binder to set, ensuring clean slices.
Chef's Notes
- Crinkling the phyllo instead of layering it flat serves a dual purpose: it creates more surface area for maximum crispness and traps air pockets that insulate the delicate pastry from the moist filling below.
- For the best flavor, seek out Greek feta packed in brine rather than pre-crumbled dry feta. The high moisture and tanginess of block feta will melt more harmoniously into the filling.
- Do not skip the resting step. Slicing immediately out of the oven will cause the filling to spill out; cooling allows the egg proteins to finish coagulating.
- Wash leeks meticulously. Cut them in half lengthwise and run them under cold water, fanning the layers to flush out the fine sand that gets trapped as they grow.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Phyllo will lose its crispness in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat in a 180C/350F oven for 10-15 minutes until the pastry crisps up again. Do not microwave.
