Spanokopita(Greek Spinach Pie)

* Exported from MasterCook *

SPANOKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Greece Archived

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 pk Frozen spinach (10 oz)
Salt, preferably sea salt
1 Onion, chopped
1 lb Fresh mushrooms, sliced
Olive oil
Butter
1 Clove garlic, minced
Ground pepper to taste
6 Eggs
1 c Feta cheese
1 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c Chopped fresh parsley
1 t Oregano
1/4 ts Dried rosemary (optional)
1/4 lb Butter
1 lb Filo dough

If you are using fresh spinach, wash the spinach and
remove the tough stems. Place in a large bowl and
sprinkle heavily with salt. Rub the salt into the
leaves by taking them up, a bunch at a time, and
rubbing them between your hands; the volume of the
spinach will decrease before your eyes. Tear the
spinach up as you do this. Rinse the salt off
thoroughly and dry the spinach, squeezing it in
bunches in a towel. (If you are using frozen spinach,
just let it thaw and squeeze out excess moisture).

Saute the onion and mushrooms in a little olive oil
and butter with the garlic and salt and pepper to
taste. When both the onions and mushrooms are tender,
remove from the heat.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl and crumble in the feta
cheese; add the Parmesan, then the spinach, onions,
and mushrooms. Stir in the parsley, oregano, rosemary,
some freshly ground pepper, and a little salt
(remember that the feta is very salty).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter and brush a 2-quart or 3-quart oblong
baking pan with it. Spread your filo dough out flat
next to the pan. Take a sheet and lay it in the pan,
letting the edges come out over the pan. Take another
sheet and lay it on top of the first, not directly but
in such a way that its edges extend over different
parts of the pan. Brush with butter. Continue to layer
the sheets of filo, brushing every other one with
butter and turning each one slightly so that the edges
fan out over the sides of the pan, until you have
about eight sheets left.

Now spread the spinach mixture evenly over the filo
dough in the pan, pushing it into the corners. Take
the edges of the filo and fold them in over the
spinach mixture.

Take the remaining sheets of filo and layer them one
by one over the spinach mixture, again brushing every
other sheet with butter, but this time pushing the
edges down into the sides of the pan. It is difficult
to do this neatly; just rumple the edges down into the
sides of the pan (they will form a nice crisp edge
after baking). Brush the top of the spanokopita with
butter and make +-inch-deep diagonal slashes across it
with a sharp knife.

Bake for 50 minutes, until the crust is puffed up and
golden; it will shrink from the sides of the pan. Cut
into squares or diamond shapes and serve immediately.



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