LIFESTYLE NEWS - Here’s a deliciously wholesome pie packed with greens, herbs, mushrooms, and cheese – all wrapped in golden, crispy phyllo. It’s hearty, full of flavour, and perfect for any meal of the day.
Ingredients:
- 200g leeks, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 400g Swiss chard, roughly chopped
- ± 1 packed cup mixed herbs, roughly chopped (oregano, dill, parsley, basil & mint work well)
- 60g Parmesan cheese, grated
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 200g feta cheese
- 400g Portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 6 sheets of phyllo pastry
- 1 Tbsp mixed sesame seeds
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh dill sprigs, for serving
± 26cm cast iron pan/buffet casserole or baking dish
Method:
- Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large cast-iron pan or buffet casserole.
- Add the leeks and garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant.
- Add the Swiss chard in batches and cook down until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Scrape mixture into a sieve and press out any excess moisture. Leave in the sieve while you prepare the next step.
- Place herbs, Parmesan, lemon zest, and eggs into a large bowl. Mix well together. Add the strained spinach mixture and combine.
- Crumble the feta cheese, leaving it in fairly large chunks. Mix gently.
- In the same pan previously used for the spinach, heat another drizzle of olive oil.
- Pan-fry the sliced mushrooms until golden brown. Season lightly.
- Fold mushrooms through the spinach and feta mixture.
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Wipe out the cast iron pan with a paper towel and brush it with a fresh drizzle of olive oil.
- Working quickly, with one phyllo sheet at a time, lay it in the pan and brush with a little olive oil. Gently press the phyllo into the pan to eliminate any large air bubbles. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets, rotating each sheet in a different direction as you add it, brushing with olive oil as you layer.
- Spoon in the filling and spread into an even layer.
- Scrunch up the overhang of phyllo around the filling. Trim it if necessary so you have a circle of uncovered mushroom mixture in the centre, surrounded by a ring of phyllo.
- Brush the top of the phyllo with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for ± 35 minutes until the phyllo is deeply golden and super crispy.
- Remove from the oven and place the pan on a low burner.
- Cook for 5 minutes on the stove top.
(This little extra step makes sure you have a crispy base- it is not necessary, but worth the extra effort) .
Rest the pie for 10 minutes before slicing into generous wedges and serving scattered with some fresh dill.
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