Little minty spinach pies
Easy cheesy.
These rustic little pies are fun to make and to eat, either fresh from the oven or closer to room temperature. They travel well, too, so can be useful sustenance on long road trips or picnics.
You can make the dough and the filling entirely by hand if you want, though I tend to outsource both tasks to machinery for ease and speed.
The best type of feta to use is one which combines both sheep’s and goat’s milk, such as Dodoni, which will give you melting texture while keeping some texture about it.
If you happen to have a bottle of herb-infused olive oil – I was given one as a gift, so thinking of ways to use it is how I made this discovery – you can substitute it for the regular olive oil in the dough to add some flavour.
I like to serve these with some tzatziki on the side, for dolloping and dipping as required.
Swiss chard, mint and feta pies
Makes 12.
for the dough:
250g (2 cups) flour
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
125ml (½ cup) water
for the filling:
150g (5 oz) Swiss chard, stalks removed
2 spring onions
300g (10 oz) Greek feta
½ cup parsley leaves
½ cup mint leaves
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, for brushing
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
To make the dough, place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, mixing until a cohesive dough forms. Knead briefly on a flour-dusted surface to form a ball and wrap in cling film. Set aside, at room temperature, for 30 minutes.
To make the filling, chop all the ingredients together in a food processor, adding the chard leaves and herbs in batches if necessary, until you have a smooth, firm mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Set your oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Roll the dough out on a flour-dusted surface to make a 30×40 cm (12×16 inch) rectangle, and cut into 10cm (4 inch) squares. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling in the centre of a square, then bring the four corners together, pinching along the seams to seal well. Place on the baking sheet and repeat to make 12 pies.
Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon water and brush over the pies, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 30 minutes, until crisp and golden.
