Spanakopita

Mrs.Dr.Fork

900g pack frozen spinach, defrosted

8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 leek (350 g), thinly sliced

4 spring onions, sliced

400g feta, crumbled

50g rocket, finely chopped

handful fresh dill leaves, chopped

Small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped

½ bunch fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped

1 lemon, finely grated zest

3 medium eggs, lightly beaten

10 filo pastry sheets

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

lemon wedges to serve

Put the spinach in a colander set over a bowl or the sink and squeeze out as much liquid as possible using the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside to continue draining.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a low-medium heat, add the leek and cook 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Squeeze any remaining liquid out of the spinach and add the spinach to the leek. Add the spring onions, feta, rocket, herbs, lemon zest, and eggs to the bowl, season and mix well. Divide the mixture into 5 portions.

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put 1 fil sheet on a clean work surface with the long edge facing you. Brush with some of the remaining oil and stack another sheet on top to make a stack of 2 sheets. Spread 1 portion of the spinach mixture along the edge of the filo closest to you and roll up into a long sausage to fully enclose the filling. Coil the pastry sausage around itself t0 make the start of a spiral, making sure not to wrap it too tightly as it will expand while cooking. Brush the paper on the baking sheet/casserole with some of the remaining oil, then transfer the pastry to it. Repeat with the rest of the pastry and filling, joining the end of each pastry sausage to the previous one.

Drizzle the remaining oil over the pastry spiral and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden, then serve with lemon wedges.

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