The filling is complex combines spinach with fresh parsley and dill, sautéed fennel and onions, crumbled feta, and grated nutmeg.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 2 pounds fresh spinach
- 3 medium onions
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1/2 cup chopped dill
- 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 eggs
- 8 ounces feta
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or 2-3 tablespoons dark seedless raisins, optional)
- several sheets phyllo dough
Instructions
- Chop the onions. Chop the fennel bulb. Wash and chop the spinach.
- In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the spinach lightly, just to wilt. Remove the spinach with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Heat 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and add the chopped onions and fennel. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until wilted, about 7 minutes.
- Place the spinach, fennel, and onions in a large bowl. Chop the dill and parsley, and add them to the bowl.
- Lightly whisk the 2 eggs in a small bowl, then add them to the mixture, along with 2 more tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well.
- Crumble the feta, and add it to the bowl, along with the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and optional cayenne (or raisins).
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly oil a pan. Use a 12" rectangular or oval pan. Lay a sheet of phyllo in the pan. The edges will hang over the edges. Brush this phyllo layer with olive oil. If you don’t have a pastry brush, just drizzle on the oil and rub it around with your (clean) fingertips. Repeat with 3-4 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with olive oil.
- Spread the filling evenly over the phyllo.
- Pull up the outer edges of the phyllo layers, and wrap them around the filling, neatly. Top with 3-5 more layers of phyllo, each brushed with olive oil. To tuck the top layers down, gently tuck them into the edges of the pan using a metal spatula.
- Bake for 50 minutes or more, until the phyllo is golden.