Traditional Greek Spinach Pie Without the Filo (Blatsaria)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A traditional, rustic Greek pie of greens, feta cheese and fresh herbs and a delicious cornmeal and yogurt crust!
Author:
Recipe type: Vegetarian Main Dish
Cuisine: Northern Greek
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • For the filling:
  • 12 oz. fresh spinach, chopped
  • 3-4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 medium leek (about 6 oz.), trimmed and chopped finely
  • --- sea salt
  • 4 TBSP. fresh dill, minced
  • 4 TBSP. fresh parsley, minced
  • 6 - 8 oz. block of Greek Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
  • For the cornmeal batter:
  • ½ cup corn meal (I used Indian Head stone ground corn)
  • ½ cup semolina flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. sea salt
  • 4 oz. plain Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1¼ cups water (divided)
  • 2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 TBSP. butter, cut into pieces
Instructions
  1. Prepare the greens: wash and spin-dry the spinach. Chop it and place it in a large colander set over a large bowl. To the same bowl, add the trimmed and chopped leek. Sprinkle everything generously with some sea salt, mix well, and set aside for 15 minutes (the salt will draw the moisture out of the vegetables).
  2. Prepare the aromatics: chop the green onions, mince the dill and the parsley, and place them in a small bowl.
  3. Add the Feta and egg: crumble the Feta cheese, lightly whisk the egg, and add both to the small bowl with the aromatics.
  4. For the greens: squeeze the spinach and leeks over the colander with your hands in order to reduce their volume and drain most of the moisture they retain. To do this, take handfuls of the greens in your palms and just press to squeeze out the water. This is an important step so we have a mostly dry mixture.
  5. Get the filling ready: remove the (now dry) vegetables from the colander and place them in a large bowl. To this, add the green onions, fresh herbs, Feta cheese, and egg, then season everything with the salt and pepper and drizzle the entire mixture with the olive oil. Mix everything together and set aside.
  6. Make the cornmeal base: stir the corn meal, semolina, all-purpose flour, sea salt, yogurt, and ¼ cup olive oil together in a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup plus 2 TBSPS. of the water and stir again; the mixture should resemble a very thick pancake batter.
  7. Prepare the pan: brush some butter on the bottom and sides of a shallow, 11"-12" pizza pan. Sprinkle about 1 to 2 TBSPS. of semolina flour over the bottom and sides of the pan.
  8. Preheat the oven: place a rack in the middle of the oven and set it to 375°F convection bake (also known as "fan" or "fan assisted"). If your oven does not offer this setting, just use the regular bake setting and cook it a little longer.
  9. The base of the pie: spoon about ⅔ of the cornmeal batter over the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the mixture evenly and all the way to the edges.
  10. Top with the greens: top with the greens mixture, and spread it evenly over the base. With a spoon, or, with your hands, press gently the greens into the cornmeal base itself.
  11. The top of the pie: stir in the remaining 2 TBSPS. of water to the bowl containing the remaining ⅓ of the cornmeal batter, and mix well. This mixture should now be a thinner consistency than the base, (like a thinner pancake). If it is not, add another 1-2 TBSPS. of water to thin it out. Using a spoon, drizzle the thinner batter over the greens (it will not completely cover them - some greens will still peak through, as in the photo).
  12. Bake: drizzle the olive oil and scatter the cubes of butter over the top of the pie. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or, until the top is nicely browned.
  13. Enjoy: remove the pie from the oven, let it cool down for 15 minutes, cut it into squares, and enjoy it with some Greek yogurt on the side!
Recipe by Marilena's Kitchen at https://marilenaskitchen.com/traditional-greek-spinach-pie-without-the-filo-blatsaria/