Greek Hand Pies With Greens Dill Mint And Feta |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes |
Ready In: 60 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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From Food & Wine, these hand held pies are a delicious and delightful offering for anyone and everyone. Jacques Pépin ordered a saiti, a turnover filled with tangy wild greens and feta, at Marianthi tavern in the Greek village of Monemvasía. Read more . That mental picture plus the photo visuals of the pies and Jacques with his friends happily chatting and dining...well, I knew I had to make them. Had to....and they came out just as wonderful as I imagined, even though I was not in Greece. Yet. I've been a fan of Jacques Pépin since my teenage years watching PBS with my beautiful mom. I loved watching a man cook then - and still do. And Jacques' French accent is so cute. Mmm... This recipe is a close approximation. The olive oil in the dough (adapted from a recipe by Diane Kochilas) makes the crust extraordinarily flaky. Enjoy! **Note: These flaky, herb-filled pies pair well with many Greek white wines, which tend to be light and fragrant, at least when made from local Greek grape varieties. Yiannis Vatistas’s citrusy 2006 Vatistas Lakonikos white is an ideal choice—his vineyards are not far from the village Pépin visited. Ingredients:
dough |
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting |
salt |
3/4 cup water |
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar |
filling |
6 medium scallions, sliced 1/4 inch thick |
1 1/2 pounds greens, such as swiss chard, spinach and dandelion greens, stemmed and coarsely chopped |
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dill |
1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint |
1/4 cup coarsely chopped oregano |
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces) |
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese |
1 large egg, lightly beaten |
freshly ground pepper |
vegetable oil, for frying |
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix the flour with 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Make a well in the center and add the water, 1/4 cup of the olive oil and the vinegar. Mix until the dough comes together; it will be sticky.
2. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until smooth and no longer tacky, using a pastry scraper to free it from the work surface. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the scallions and cook over moderate heat until softened, 3 minutes.
4. Add the greens and cook over high heat, stirring, until wilted, 2 minutes. Stir in the dill, mint and oregano and cook until wilted, 1 minute. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a colander and let cool. When the greens are cool enough to handle, squeeze out any excess liquid.
5. In a large bowl, combine the greens with the feta, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and the egg. Season the filling with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
6. Lightly flour a large, rimmed baking sheet. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; cut into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece out to a 9-inch round 1/16 inch thick.
7. Using an 8-inch plate as a template, cut an 8-inch disk from each round. Mound one-fourth of the filling on the lower half of each disk. Fold the dough over to make a half-moon; press the edge of the dough to seal. Using a lightly floured fork, crimp the edges. Transfer the hand pies to the prepared baking sheet.
8. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of the vegetable oil over moderately high heat until shimmering. Add 2 pies at a time and fry, turning once, until deep golden brown, about 6 minutes. Drain the pies on paper towels. Serve hot.
9. **The dough and filling can each be refrigerated, separately, overnight. Bring the filling to room temperature before assembling.
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