Filo pastry with goat cheese and spinach

The origins of filo, also spelt as phyllo, are debated furiously. One theory suggests that it was invented in Greece during the Byzantine period, where wheat was abundant. The second indicates that it was invented in Turkey, where there is still a very thin pastry called yufka. Today, filo is used globally and is available commercially, so chefs like me do not have to spend hours making the very thin pastry.

This is a lovely savoury pastry. The combination of goat cheese and spinach is beautiful—think Greek spanakopita—and the abundance of herbs adds lovely nuances to the pastry. I like to serve these as snacks or appetisers. Here, I paired them with a sweet-spicy Apricot chutney.

Deborah Madison was one of the first chefs to embrace the farm-to-table movement when she opened her restaurant Greens, one that I have dined at a few times. Her cookbooks are lovely, and this one, in particular, is amazing. Simple recipes that are loaded with flavour. Like me, you should get all her cookbooks; each is a masterpiece!

For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 leek, or 1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 large bunch of spinach, stemmed and well-washed

1/2 cup white wine or water

8 oz. goat cheese

/14 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Ready filo pastry

Butter

Heat the butter on a low flame. As it melts, add the leek or onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute until the onion is soft. Do not allow the onion to take on any colour. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram and cook for 30 more seconds.

Add the spinach and wine and cook for 15 minutes on a medium flame until the spinach is very soft and all the liquids have evaporated. The mix needs to be very dry. Cool completely.

When cool, finely dice the spinach and mix well. Add goat, ricotta, and walnuts when cool and mix well. Set aside.

Cut the filo pastry sheets into strips 2 inches wide and 8 inches long—separate two sheets. Add one teaspoon of the spinach mix to the bottom edge of the sheets. Fold into a triangle, gently pressing down on the spinach mix to fill the edges. Fold along the edges in turn until you are at the top. Dip our finger into a bowl of water. Dab the edge with the finger and press it down into the top of the pastry, sealing the filo package. Lay on a lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the filling. Seal with cling wrap and store in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

When you are ready to serve, remove the cling wrap. Lightly melt the butter in a bowl. With a brush, dab the butter evenly onto the pastries. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove. Serve hot with a chutney.