Greek Recipes - Make Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
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Greek Recipes - Make Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Greek Recipes - How to Prepare Spinach for a Spanakopita Pie
Greek Recipes - How to Prepare Leeks and Scallions for a Spanakopita Pie
How to Clarify Butter
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Greek Recipes - How to Assemble and Bake a Spanakopita Pie
Greek Recipes - Make Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
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Greek Recipes - Make Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
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Greek Recipes - How to Prepare Spinach for a Spanakopita Pie
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In March 2007, Chef Mike Isabella was appointed as head chef of the popular Penn Quarter restaurant Zaytinya, located at 701 9th Street, NW. THINKfoodGROUP’s José Andrés and Rob Wilder were pleased to welcome Chef Isabella who came to Washington with an extensive list of restaurant experience. Mike earned an associates degree in culinary arts at the New York Restaurant School and has several years of industry experience including three years working for Stephen Starr's Philadelphia restaurants. He worked as executive sous chef with James Beard Award-winning Chef Marcus Samuelsson at Washington Square, and as a sous chef at El Vez and Alma de Cuba, the modern Latin restaurant which received accolades from Conde’ Nast Traveler as one of the “Top 50 Restaurants.” Most recently Mike was chef de cuisine at Kyma, the award-winning Greek seafood restaurant in the exclusive Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta. Zaytinya serves an extensive array of various hot and cold mezze “little dishes” reflecting the rich regional diversity of classical and contemporary Greek, Turkish and Lebanese cuisine. Open seven days a week. Zaytinya is located at 701 9th St., NW, in the heart of the Penn Quarter. For additional information call (202) 638-0800.
Greek Recipes - Make Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Chef Mike Isabella demonstrates how to make Spanakopita, otherwise known as greek spinach pie.
Greek Recipes - Make Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Ingredients
1 Box of Country Phyllo dough1 Pound of Spinach (pre-washed and cleaned)
1/2 Pound of Feta Cheese
7 Scallions
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley
2 Tablespoons Fresh Dill
1 Large Leek
2 Sticks of Butter (1/2 lb)
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Mint (optional)
Instructions
1. Remove bruised leaves and stems of spinach. Wash and rinse the spinach leaves in cold water. Boil a pot of water and add a bit of salt. Drop the spinach leaves in for 10-15 seconds until wilted. Take spinach out with a strainer and dip them into ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove the spinach from the ice water and squeeze it out. Put it on a cutting board and chop.2. Clean one large leek. Discard the bottom of the leek, the roots. Cut the top off the leek and discard it. Cut the remaining leek core halfway through and let it soak in cold water for a minute or two to clean. Remove it from the water and cut it in half completely. Now, cut into thin round half-moon shapes.
3. Cut the green part of the scallions into similar sizes, about a quarter inch thick.
4. Heat an 8 inch sauté pan with a tablespoon of oil at a low temperature. Sauté the leeks at a low temperature until they are tender (about 6 minutes). Then add the scallions to the pan and wilt (2 minutes). Take out of the pan and let cool at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
5. How to Clarify Butter: Chop 2 sticks of butter into little cubes. Put the butter in a pan and put it on the stove at high heat. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and keep it at a high simmer. Use a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth over a bowl and pour the butter into it slowly, skimming off the fat. Keep at room temperature.
6. Get a box of country style Phyllo dough. Remove the dough from the box. Remove Parchment paper. Be very careful with the Phyllo. Lay out evenly on a cutting board horizontally. Cut the dough in half and then in half again to create 14 pieces of Phyllo (which makes 14 triangles). Make sure the Phyllo edges are straight by cutting off raw edges. Store any leftovers in the freezer.
7. Combine the spinach, scallions, leeks, parsley, dill and feta cheese in a large bowl. Add an egg and mix together.
8. Brush the clarified butter onto the Phyllo dough strips to moisten. Add a tablespoon of filling 1/2 inch from the bottom of the dough and flatten. Fold dough into triangles like an American flag. Add more butter at the end of the Phyllo and seal tightly.
9. Put the pies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Brush a small amount of butter on top of the triangle. Refrigerate for at least a half an hour (up to overnight) to seal. Cook in the oven for 6 minutes at 350 degrees. After 6 minutes turn over and cook for another 2 minutes until they're golden brown on both sides. Brush with a bit more butter and serve.
Transcripts
Mike Isabella: How are you doing? My name is Mike Isabella. I am the Chef at Zaytinya restaurant, award winning restaurant at Washington DC and graduated at New York Restaurant School. I have cooked allover the East Coast of the United States and also in different countries. I am the chef here at the Zaytinya. Today, I will be showing you how to make spanakopita from top to bottom.
Working with the Phyllo dough, making the filling with using fresh spinach and feta cheese with scallions, dill, mint and leeks, preparing everything separately and combining it all to make a filling and then also putting it together. So, we are going to clarify a little butter to work with the Phyllo dough. Make our little spanakopita pies, roll them up, wrap them up. Chill them off and then pop them in the oven and the bake them off, so nice golden-brown to you have the best spanakopitas that you have ever had before.
You will need a couple of large mixing bowls, a large pot to blanch the spinach, a small saut pan, a small sauce pan, a pastry brush, cutting board and a couple of sharp knives. You will also need Phyllo, some fresh spinach, leeks, scallions, butter, feta cheese, fresh dill, fresh parsley and then egg. Always remember to be careful around a sharp knives and hot stoves when cooking.
Lets get ready for the first step.
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this was an amazing recipe by MrsBigA at 07/26/09 04:04PM Flag
Thank you for putting together a comprehensive, easy to follow video. I made these little delights and they turned out terrific. Having used all fresh ingredients and following the techniques shown I was very pleased with the outcome and so were my guests. Definitely a do-over! Thank you.
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