Spanakopita

Ingredients

450g Frozen Chopped Spinach, Thawed and Well-drained
2 Bunches Flat-leaf Parsley, Stems Trimmed, Finely Chopped
1 Large Yellow Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 Tablespoons Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Eggs
300g Quality Feta Cheese, Crumbled
2 Teaspoons Dried Dill Weed
Freshly-Ground Black Pepper

For the Crust

450g Phyllo Pastry (keep your sheets in between two slightly damp dish towels to prevent them from drying out), properly thawed
1 cup Wilson’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more if needed

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.

Before you begin mixing the filling, be sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.

To make the filling:

In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until all is well-combined.

Unroll the phyllo sheets and most importantly, place them between two slightly damp kitchen cloths. Brush the bottom and sides of a baking dish with olive oil.

To assemble the spanakopita:

Line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo letting them cover the sides of the dish. Brush with olive oil. Add two more sheets in the same manner, and brush them with olive oil. Repeat until two-thirds of the phyllo is used up.

Now, evenly spread the spinach and feta filling over the phyllo crust. Top with two more sheets, and brush with olive oil.

Continue to layer the phyllo sheets, two-at-a-time, brushing with olive oil, until you have used up all the sheets.

Brush the very top layer with olive oil, and sprinkle with just a few drops of water.

Fold the flaps or excess from the sides, you can crumble them a little. Brush the folded sides well with olive oil.

Cut Spanakopita ONLY PART-WAY through into squares, or leave the cutting to later.

Bake in the 160 degrees C heated-oven for 1 hour, or until the phyllo crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Finish cutting into squares and serve.