One of Australia’s most loved chef, Anna Polyviou, shares her special spanakopita recipe with The Greek Herald. A recipe that is close to heart as it was always something she made alongside her mum.
“Mum always uses a tablecloth to roll the spanakopita, she stretches it out on it and then flips it so it rolls up together,” Anna says.
“I feel like it’s her party trick when guests are over and she’s showing off! It is definitely one of those dishes that is a crowd pleaser.”
FILO DOUGH
- 250g plain flour
- 200ml water, warm
- 25ml olive oil
- Sea salt
FILLING
- 300g spinach, blanched (squeeze out excess water)
- 10g dill, finely chopped
- 10g mint, finely chopped
- 3 spring onions, finely chopped
- 2 eggs
- 250g feta, crumbled
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper, to season
- White sesame seeds
METHOD
- In the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment, add in flour, warm water, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix on a medium speed for 8-10 minutes till the dough has combined and gluten has developed.
- Remove dough from the machine, place in a greased bowl and cover with cling wrap. Allow to rest for about 3-4 hours.
- Place the spinach, herbs, spring onion and eggs in a medium sized bowl and mix together. Place in the fridge, covered, till required.
- Remove pastry dough from the fridge and stretch it out as long as possible before it starts ripping. Drizzle with olive oil, then scatter the spinach mix over evenly. Scatter over crumbled feta and season. Roll the spanakopita into a tight log, then coil. Place in a 26cm round baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and scatter sesame seeds on top.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 25-30minutes.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before removing from the tin.
TIP
You can upgrade your spanakopita by doing what mum does and adding in ricotta and haloumi. You can also shape it and freeze it until you’re ready to bake it fresh. A squeeze of lemon juice is also great.
