This traditional Greek pastry can be made in a large dish and divided into servings but more classically it comes in smaller triangles like here. It's equally delicious eaten straight from the oven or at room temperature.
Spanakopita with honey and sesame seeds
Serves 4
20g unsalted butter
1 onion
400g spinach
300g feta, chopped
100g ricotta, chopped
1 nutmeg
2 eggs
50ml whole milk
200g filo pastry
100ml vegetable oil
100g honey
10g black sesame seeds
10g white sesame seeds
Set the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4.
Melt the butter in a large pan over a moderate heat. Finely dice the onion and add it to the pan, cooking until soft and translucent. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted and tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Squeeze the spinach to remove as much liquid as possible then transfer it to a bowl and add the feta and ricotta. Season well with salt and pepper, add a little grated nutmeg and reserve the mixture to one side.
Next crack the eggs and place the whites in a small bowl. Add the milk and whisk well to make an egg wash.
Place one filo pastry sheet on a work surface with the long side nearest you and brush it with egg wash. Top with another filo sheet and brush with more egg wash.
Divide the spinach filling into four equal balls.
Now place the filling near one corner of the filo on the end nearest you, then fold the corner over to enclose the filling and form a triangle. Continue folding up the strip maintaining a triangular shape. Make three more triangles in same way.
Once the four pastries are made heat a pan big enough to hold them and add the oil. Place the spanakopita into the pan and cook until light golden on each side before placing into the oven for 10 minutes to heat through.
Remove the spanakopita from the oven and place on serving plates, drizzling the honey over them and topping with the sesame seeds.
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