Eggs, Greens and Cheese Pie
This delicious pie is a twist on my favourite greens and cheese pie (my family’s favourite) by adding whole eggs to the filling, right at the end before placing the pastry on top. The trick is to keep those yolks whole as they give the pie a gorgeous burst of golden colour against the green when you slice into it. Perfect for lunch, dinner and picnics - and Easter morning!
INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil
375g filo pastry, thawed
500g mixed greens (spinach, kale, silverbeet leaves), chopped
1 brown onion, finely diced
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
200g feta
200g ricotta
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbs breadcrumbs
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup dill, chopped
Salt and pepper
11 eggs (or a dozen depending on the size of eggs)
2 Tbs sesame seeds
Lemon wedges, to serve
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease a 28cm round baking dish or cast iron pan (my preferred!) with olive oil.
Put the filo sheets on a work surface and cover with a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out.
Place all the greens in a large pot on medium heat with the lid on and “sweat” them until they wilt. Remove from heat and set aside in a colander to drain and cool. Once cool, squeeze any excess water and chop into smaller pieces. This step prevents the crust from getting soggy. Place them into a large bowl.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion on medium heat until soft and lightly golden, then set aside to cool.
Now add the cooled onion, garlic, ricotta, nutmeg, lemon zest and herbs to the greens and mix well with a wooden spoon. Crumble the feta, and then the ricotta ensuring that the pieces aren’t too small as they’ll break up as you combine all the ingredients. I like to do this with my hands to get a nice even texture without over- mixing. Add two beaten eggs, combine, and then bread crumbs with a final few stirs so it’s all even!
Use two sheets of baking paper and overlap them to make a large square. Drizzle with olive oil then place one filo sheet at a time on top, in a clockwise direction starting in the top left hand corner to cover the surface area of the baking paper. So each layer will have four over lapping filo sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and continue arranging filo sheets in a clockwise direction until all have been used up. Don’t worry if some tear as this won’t matter once it’s cooked. Now holding the baking paper and filo sheets from the top, drag it over your round dish or cast iron pan so it directly in the middle and gently press the baking paper/filo into the pan.
Spoon the spinach and cheese filling over the filo and spread it out evenly. Now carefully crack on egg at a time into a cup and gently pour over the filling one at a time, so the yolk stays intact. Depending on the size of your eggs, you should fit 9-10 eggs. Try to arrange them evenly, ideally with a yolk right in the centre.
Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors trim the edges of the over hanging filo so it makes a rough circle. Gently fold the filo into the pie over the eggs, once again being careful not to break them. Drizzle olive oil over the top, scatter with sesame seeds and bake for around 45min or until crunchy and golden brown.
If the pastry is browning too quickly, turn the heat down to 160 degrees and continue cooking for the remaining time. Allow the pie to cool for 10 minutes before serving with freshly cut wedges of lemon. The pie makes the most satisfying crunch sound when it’s cut so it’s worth doing this in front of your guests!
Notes:
To get your egg yolk right in the centre, create a little divet in the pie filling right in the middle and this will help one of your eggs should stay put there!