With this recipe you will be equipped to make an impressive looking filo pie with a feta and kale filling. The recipe is a simple one, though nonetheless a delicious one. Get creative in the kitchen and try out different fillings. Spinach can be used in place of kale, ricotta instead of feta and why not add some roasted peppers or pumpkin to the mix? For a dairy free variation use potato or some smashed chickpeas instead.
INGREDIENTS
6 leaves Italian kale
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
100g feta cheese
1 soft sheep ġbejna
6 sprigs of thyme
5 twists of black pepper
2 tablespoons zaatar
3 teaspoons of honey
a handful sesame seeds
6 sheets of filo pastry
Olive oil and salt as needed
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Peel the onions and slice thinly, finely chop the garlic. Place a pan over medium heat and once hot, drizzle olive oil in. Cook the onions and garlic for 3 minutes until golden brown.
3. In the meantime remove the stems from the kale and roughly chop. Wash thoroughly and add to the pan. Add a splash of water if you see things are sticking.
4. Pick the thyme leaves and roughly chop. Add them to the pan and keep cooking until the kale has wilted. Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes.
5. In a bowl combine the ġbejna and feta and add in the kale mixture. Add in the pepper and zaatar. Taste and season with salt as needed.
6. Lay a sheet of filo on a clean work surface and drizzle a little bit of olive oil. Lay a second sheet of filo overlapping the third of the first so that you end up with one much larger sheet.
7. Repeat with the remaining sheets so that you end up with a large sheet with three layers. Take the cheese and kale mix and spread it along the bottom edge of the filo.
8. Start from the bottom and roll it up into a sausage. Take one end and lower it into the outer edge of the pie tin. Allow it to naturally fall into a coil.
9. Drizzle the honey over the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds till a nice layer has formed. Sprinkle a little salt over the top and finish with some more olive oil.
10. Bake in the oven for twenty minutes or till a deep golden brown.
This recipe is taken from our Sharing Plates Middle Eastern Flavours workshop. Click here to see what workshops we have available currently.