Shatteringly Crisp Spinach and Feta Phyllo Pie

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A tray-baked Greek spinach pie with a filling so dry it can't steam the pastry, and phyllo layers brushed with a butter-and-olive-oil blend that bake into audible shards. The whole recipe is really a lesson in two things: wringing every drop out of the spinach, and keeping store-bought phyllo relaxed and pliable while you work. Cut into diamonds, it's the appetizer version; cut into big squares, it's dinner with a tomato salad.

Ingredients

• 2 lb fresh spinach, stemmed (or 20 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 oz Greek feta in brine, crumbled
• 4 oz whole-milk ricotta or small-curd cottage cheese
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp fine dry breadcrumbs or semolina
• kosher salt, to taste (feta is salty — season last)

• 1 lb frozen phyllo dough (14x18-inch sheets), thawed overnight in the refrigerator
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Thaw the phyllo correctly, a day ahead if you can: move the sealed box from the freezer to the refrigerator for at least 8 hours (overnight is best), then set it on the counter, still sealed, for 1 hour before you open it. Phyllo thawed fast on the counter or in the microwave weeps moisture and glues itself together.
2. Cook the spinach. If using fresh, wash it and pile it, still dripping, into a large dry pot over medium-high heat in batches, tossing with tongs for 2 to 3 minutes per batch until fully collapsed. Dump into a colander and cool 10 minutes. If using frozen, simply thaw completely.
3. Squeeze it bone-dry — this is the whole recipe. Working in tennis-ball-size handfuls, wring the spinach inside a clean kitchen towel or a double layer of cheesecloth, twisting hard until no more than a few drops come out. You should end up with roughly 1 1/2 cups of tight, almost crumbly spinach weighing about 12 oz from fresh (10 oz from frozen). Pull the compressed clumps apart with your fingers and chop coarsely so the filling isn't ropey.
4. Build the flavor base. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and just golden. Add the scallions and garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the chopped spinach and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes to drive off any remaining moisture — the pan should look dry, with no liquid pooling. Scrape into a large bowl and cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Never add eggs to a warm filling.
5. Mix the filling. Stir the feta, ricotta, eggs, dill, parsley, lemon zest, nutmeg, and black pepper into the cooled spinach until evenly combined. Taste and add salt only if needed; good brined feta usually supplies enough.
6. Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the lower third. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, skim any foam, and stir in the 1/3 cup olive oil. The oil keeps the layers from turning brittle-hard and raises the browning point. Brush a 9x13-inch metal or glass baking dish with the mixture.
7. Set up your phyllo station: unroll the stack on a dry counter, cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap and then a barely damp (not wet) kitchen towel. Uncover only long enough to lift one sheet at a time, and re-cover immediately. Torn sheets are fine — patch them and keep going; nobody sees the interior.
8. Lay the bottom crust. Place a phyllo sheet in the dish, letting the edges climb the sides, and brush it lightly all over with the butter mixture — dab and dot rather than dragging the brush, which tears the sheet. Repeat with 9 more sheets, brushing each. If your sheets are smaller than the dish, alternate their overhang direction so the coverage is even.
9. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top layer of the bottom crust — cheap insurance that catches any stray moisture — then spread the filling in an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
10. Fold the overhanging phyllo in over the filling and brush it. Then top with 10 more sheets, brushing each with butter mixture, and tuck the edges down inside the dish like you're making a bed. Brush the final sheet generously and scatter with sesame seeds if using.
11. Score before baking, not after. Using a sharp thin knife, cut all the way through the top layers only (not the bottom) into 9 squares, or into diamonds for appetizer portions. This lets steam escape and keeps the top from shattering into chaos when you serve it. Flick a few drops of water across the surface to discourage curling.
12. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and crackly and the pie feels light and firm when you tap it. If the top is browning faster than the middle sets, tent loosely with foil at the 35-minute mark. For extra insurance on the bottom crust, slide the pan onto a preheated sheet pan for the first 20 minutes.
13. Rest 20 to 30 minutes on a rack before cutting through completely. The filling needs to set, and cutting hot pie releases steam back into the layers. Serve warm or at room temperature — it's arguably better at room temperature, which is why it belongs on a mezze table.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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