Cooking With Our Guests, Greek Recipes
When I was 22 years of age, I went on an extended back-packing trip around the world. While I was away, Eugene (my mostly good man) asked my mum to teach him how to make fillo pasty. He was 23 years of age and already concerned that this skill would be lost to future generations due to changing priorities and shifting life-styles. When I returned from my trip and heard this, I decided I needed to learn too. I am actually not a competitive person, but it didn’t feel right that I hadn’t taken the time to learn this skill from my mother and that it really was my responsibility to maintain this skill and one day pass it on to the next generation.
Since that time 30 years ago, I have made mostly one type of pita – prasopita – leek pie. It really is my favourite. Leeks are so sweet and juicy when cooked in olive oil and their flavour is so morish!! I can’t get enough of them.
The video created for this recipe gives you step-by-step instructions on how to make this delicious pita, including how to roll your own fillo pastry. Rolling your own fillo pastry is a skill that can be developed with patience and perseverance. Your first two or three sheets of fillo may be a little holy and odd shaped, but before you know it, you will understand how much pressure you need to apply to the fillo to stretch it out and when it needs to be dusted with extra flour, because it’s getting too tacky to work with. Layer by layer your pita will come to life, and the joy and satisfaction you experience when you sit down with friends and family to share the fruits of your labour, will be enormous.
The day Lucia filmed me making the prasopita, Ilyana was at home, and without discussion or warning, she joined me in the kitchen and had a go at making fillo. I hope you will be as curious and courageous as her and have a go too!
To see the prasopita made as scrunchy logs, watch Crystal @thehungrygreekgirl_ here. Use less EVOO when cooking the leeks and rice (approximately 200-220ml). DON’T add the feta and eggs into the pot with the leeks and rice – layer them over the leek/rice filling once you have placed it onto the fillo! Watch the link, you’ll understand!(Note: DO NOT add the extra drizzle of EVOO as shown in the Insta video)
KO's Prasopita - Greek Leek Pie with Feta Recipe
Prasopita (Leek Pie with Home-Made Fillo Pastry) has everything - crispy, crunchy fillo; sweet and juicy leeks; creamy-feta salt bursts... it is an eating sensation!
CourseMain Course
CuisineGreek
Keywordfillo pastry, leek, leek pie, pie, pita, prasopita
Ingredients
For the fillo dough...
- 500gplain flour
- 1teaspoonsalt
- 1/4cupolive oilextra virgin
- 1teaspoonwhite vinegar
- 1-1/4cupstap water,warm
- clean damp towel
For the flour-cornflour mixture (used to dust the fillo with as you roll it out)...
- 500gplain flour
- 150gcornflour
For the filling...
- 9medium leeks (1800g dry weight chopped leeks)
- 350mlolive oilextra virgin
- 2teaspoonscracked black pepper
- 3teaspoonssalt
- 1/2cuprice,medium grain
- 180gfeta
- 3eggs,lightly beaten
Instructions
Preparing the fillo dough...
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and vinegar and rub it into the flour
Slowly add one cup of warm water and completely combine it with the flour mixture, so that it forms a soft, workable dough that doesn’t stick to your hands or the bowl
Depending on the type of flour you use, you may need to add extra water to make the dough soft
Turn the dough onto a kitchen bench and knead it for 1-2 minutes, flouring the bench a little if you need to
Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a damp towel and leave it to rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour
Preparing the leek filling
Top and tail the leeks and remove any coarse outer layers
Slice the leeks in half lengthways and then slice each half lengthways again
Coarsely cut the leeks into 4cm segments
Wash the leeks thoroughly to separate out the leek layers and remove any traces of dirt
Allow the leeks to drain
In a large pot, heat 350ml of EVOO on high until it is very hot
Add the leeks and maintain the heat on high
Stir in the cracked black pepper and the salt
Continue to stir and cook the leeks until their colour brightens and much of the water they release has cooked off
Stir through the rice and turn off the heat
Allow the leeks to cool completely before crumbling in the feta and stirring through the beaten eggs
Preparing the flour-cornflour dusting mixture...
Combine 500g of plain flour with 150g of cornflour well. This flour-cornflour mixture is used to dust the fillo whenever it gets a little sticky as you are rolling it out
Preparing the fillo pasty...
After the dough has rested, divide it into 8 portions and roll each portion into a ball. Return 7 of the balls to the bowl and cover again with a damp cloth
Take the one ball of dough, and shape it with your hands to form a disc
Use the dusting mixture to flour your work surface generously and then coat the dough disc on both sides with this dusting mixture
Using the fillo rolling pin, roll it out one way and then the other to form a round disc approximately 20cm in diameter
Wrap the dough disc fairly tightly around the fillo-pastry rolling pin. Then, starting with both hands in the middle of the fillo-pastry rolling pin, press the fillo lightly while moving your hands away from each other. Repeat this pressing/drawing action 2-3 times
Unravel the fillo sheet and rotate it 90 degrees on your work surface
Wrap the fillo onto the rolling pin again
Again, starting with both hands in the middle of the fillo-pastry rolling pin, press the fillo lightly with your fingers or palms, while moving your hands away from each other – repeating this pressing/drawing action 2-3 times
Again, unravel the fillo sheet and rotate it 90 degrees on your work surface
If the fillo becomes sticky, dust it with a little flour-cornflour mixture again
You continue to do this until your fillo is about 60cm in diameter
Generously oil the base of a 38cm diameter round pan or a rectangular pan (40cm x 35cm) and drape the fillo sheet across the pan and over the edge of the pan. Drizzle the sheet with olive oil
Roll out a second fillo sheet. The 2nd sheet is draped completely inside the pan and drizzled with EVOO
The 3rd fillo sheet drapes outside the pan and is drizzled with EVOO
The 4th fillo sheet is draped completely inside the pan
Add 2/3 of the leek filling to the pan
The 5th fillo sheet is draped completely inside the pan
Add the remaining filling to the pan
Fold in the draping parts of the 3rd fillo sheet and put a little filling on these folded areas
The 6th and 7th fillo sheets are draped completely inside the pan and drizzled with EVOO
The 8th fillo sheet is draped completely inside the pan
Fold in the draping parts of the 1st fillo sheet
Drizzle the top of the prasopita with EVOO and sprinkle some water on top too
Baking the prasopita...
Bake at 180°C fan-forced for 1 - 1 ¼ hours, until the top and base of the prasopita are golden brown
Serving the prasopita...
Allow the prasopita to cool for 30 minutes or so before serving with a salad for a ‘simple’ meal, or as side to your main meal or as part of a grazing buffet
Recipe makes 12-16 pieces
