Wild Greens Filo Pie (Hortopita)
I have heard hortopita referred to as a ‘longevity’ pie many times, as it’s made with so many of the nutritional wild greens that Ikaria is celebrated for. It is perfect as a snack or a meal. When I serve it with a side of Greek yoghurt it transports me to Greece every time.
Ingredients 14
2 tbsp olive oil, for the filling, plus extra for brushing
2 leeks, washed, finely sliced
2 brown onion, finely sliced
450 g wild greens, roughly chopped, see tip for alternatives
75 g wild fennel, thinly sliced
25 g mint, chopped
30 g parsley, chopped
7 g oregano, chopped
300 g feta, crumbled
Filo Dough
500 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
1 tsp salt
60 ml olive oil, for the dough
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
250 ml water, lukewarm
cornflour (cornstarch), for dusting
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Method 13
To Make The Filo
To make the filo dough, place the in a bowl with the . Make a well in the centre and pour in the and . Start mixing, either with a spoon or your hands, adding lukewarm until it resembles a soft dough. You will need about 250 ml water, more or less.
Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly until it is smooth, then place back in the bowl and cover with a tea towel (dish towel). Allow it to rest for an hour while you make the filling.
To Make The Filling
To make the filling, heat the in a frying pan and add the and . Sauté until soft and golden. Remove from the heat and place in a large bowl. Add the , , , and , and mix to combine.
Add the and, using your hands, mix all the ingredients. Check for seasoning – it may not need much salt because of the feta.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
To Assemble
Transfer the filo dough to a surface that has been dusted with cornflour. Divide the dough into 6 balls.
Brush a 36 cm (14 1⁄2 in) round baking tin with . Take one ball of dough and roll out into a dinner plate–sized round. Brush with some olive oil and set aside. Roll out another piece of dough to the same size and place on the oiled piece, then brush with oil. Repeat with another piece of dough.
You will have three sheets that have been oiled in between. Roll this stack of dough out to the size of your baking tin, making sure it is enough to cover the sides as well. Lay the pastry in the baking tin.
Pour the filling onto the dough and spread evenly.
Repeat the rolling procedure with the other 3 balls of dough, but this time roll them out more to make larger sheets, so that when you place them on top they are ruffled and not smooth.
When you place these layers of dough over the filling make sure the edges are neat by pinching them together all the way around. Brush with and sprinkle with a little cold water.
Bake for about 1 hour or until it is golden and crisp. Using your hands, sprinkle a little cold water over the pie as soon as you take it out of the oven; this creates steam, which helps retain the crispness of the filo.
Allow to cool, then cut into pieces. Serve warm or cool.
Meni Valle's tips
After baking, sprinkling a little cold water over the hot pie creates steam helping retain crispness.
