I love me some Spanakopita. The basic idea is to create a filling of sauteed spinach, feta, fresh dill, and a squeeze of lemon. You then wrap it in filo dough and bake it until golden brown. I like to make little triangle shaped Spanakopitas. There is a lot of effort involved, but the end result is worth all the time put in. Here, I have included earthy roasted beets in addition to the traditional spinach, and substituted goat cheese for the feta. These triangles are pretty visually, and the pairing of goat cheese and beets is a classic one. These are especially delicious when paired with a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc, a timeless food and wine match. I chose Claude Lafond’s Reuilly “Clos Fussay” 2008. The wines earth, and tang married wonderfully with the ingredients set forth here. A good dollop of Greek yoghurt is essential as it provides lift, and zest.
Ingredients:
-2 Medium red beets
-16 oz fresh baby spinach
-1 10.5 oz fresh goat cheese log
-The juice of one lemon
-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped fine
- 1 stick unsalted butter (to brush filo) More butter as needed.
- 2 tbs butter, plus 1 tbs olive oil (to saute spinach)
- 1 package frozen filo (let thaw overnight in the fridge before using)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method and Technique:
-Wrap beets in foil, and roast in a 400 degree oven until a skewer easily penetrates the flesh-about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. let cool, remove skin, and small dice. Set aside.
-While the beets are roasting, add the butter to a large, warmed (Med-high heat) saute pan. When the butter begins to foam, add the garlic and saute until lightly browned. Add the spinach gradually, letting each addition wilt a bit before adding the next. Stir regularly to combine the garlic and spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste. When the spinach has wilted, remove from pan and let cool. When cool, squeeze out as much liquid as you can. This is very important. Save the juice. It is packed with nutrients. Do shots! Place spinach in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the chopped beets, goat cheese, dill, egg, and lemon juice to the bowl containing the spinach. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Mix by hand until all ingredients are well combined. Use your hands!
-Remove filo from box. Un-roll it, and set it on a cutting board. Cover it with a damp towel to prevent drying. This step is crucial. Do not omit it!
-Melt the stick of butter. Set aside. Get a brush ready!
-Now, on another cutting board large enough to hold one layer of filo, set out a layer and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat until you have three layers. Cover the remaining filo (on the other cutting board) with the damp towel while building and brushing with butter each layer.
-Cut the three layers of buttered filo vertically into six strips. Add a good kitchen Tbs of the spinach, goat cheese, and beet mixture to each strip of filo. Create triangles folding each strip as you would a flag. This may sound difficult. Examine this diagram. It should help make sense of the process. Upon creating each triangle, brush lightly with butter, and arrange on a baking sheet. Freeze what you will not use immediately. These triangles are great to have on hand, and bake up beautifully from the freezer.
-Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown. Check at around 20 minutes. Let cool for ten minutes. Serve with plenty of Greek yoghurt!
****Again, these are phenom with a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Ask your wine shop geek to point you in the direction of some of the smaller, less pricey (than say, Sancere) regions within the Loire such as the “Reuilly” mentioned here.
-The visuals exhibited in these arty Spanakopitas call for music that drips with color. Pick up your wine glass. Throw a few warm ones on the plate, and dig in to some “Pink Floyd on Acid.”
Profites Bien!
