Helen Goh’s spring greens and cheese pie is your new favourite crowd-pleasing go-to

Name: Helen Goh’s spring greens and cheese pie is your new favourite crowd-pleasing go-to
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8 slices
Cuisine: Contemporary
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 small leeks, trimmed then thinly sliced (about 200g); 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 450g green leaves (any combination of spinach, silverbeet, nettle, kale or watercress), washed and roughly torn; 4 spring onions, white and green parts thinly sliced (about 60g); 10g mint leaves, roughly chopped; 10g dill fronds, roughly chopped; finely grated zest of 1 lemon; 200g feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces; 200g ricotta cheese, crumbled into small pieces; 2 large eggs, lightly beaten; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp grated nutmeg; 1 tsp salt; ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Make this freezer-friendly pie ahead and have it on standby for the sunny gatherings to come.

Helen Goh

September 15, 2023

Spring greens and cheese pie.William Meppem

Time:1-2 hoursMakes:8 slices

I find it impossible to resist all the lovely new season’s greens at the farmers’ market in early spring, and always come home with more than I can eat in the week. As they start to wilt and I panic about them going to waste, this is the recipe I turn to. Use a shallow metal baking tray for crisper filo sheets and an ideal proportion of pastry to filling. Serve with a tomato salad for a delicious light lunch. The cooked pie freezes well.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 small leeks, trimmed then thinly sliced (about 200g)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
450g green leaves (any combination of spinach, silverbeet, nettle, kale or watercress), washed and roughly torn
4 spring onions, white and green parts thinly sliced (about 60g)
10g mint leaves, roughly chopped
10g dill fronds, roughly chopped
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
200g feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces
200g ricotta cheese, crumbled into small pieces
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

TO ASSEMBLE

40g butter, melted
40ml olive oil
10 large sheets of filo pastry
30g panko breadcrumbs
35g parmesan cheese, finely grated

Method

Step 1
Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan placed over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, then add the greens. If the pan isn’t large enough to accommodate all the leaves, wilt them in two or three batches. Stir and toss for another 5 minutes, until the leaves have completely wilted, then remove from heat and add the spring onions, mint, dill and lemon zest. Toss to combine, then transfer the mix to a colander with a bowl placed underneath to allow the liquid to drain away. Discard the liquid, then transfer the greens to the bowl and leave to cool until room temperature before adding the remaining ingredients: feta, ricotta, eggs, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine, then set aside for the time being.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
Step 3
Combine the melted butter and olive oil in a small bowl. Brush the base and sides of a shallow metal baking tray (roughly 30cm x 20cm x 2.5cm) with a little of the butter/oil mixture. Taking your first sheet of filo, brush one side with some of the butter/oil, then lay it on the bottom of the tray, buttered side up. Press the filo into the corners of the tray and allow the excess to hang over the edges. Scatter some of the panko crumbs all over the filo. Brush the second sheet of filo with the butter/oil, then drape it on top of the first sheet in the tray, again keeping the buttered side up. Scatter with a little more panko. Repeat until you have placed 6 sheets down like this and all the panko has been used. Spoon the cheese and greens filling onto the pastry in the tray and spread out evenly.
Step 4
Brush one side of one of the 4 remaining sheets of filo with some of the butter/oil and sprinkle about a quarter of the parmesan on top. Lay another piece of filo on top of it and repeat with the butter/oil and parmesan. Repeat this with the remaining 2 sheets of filo so that you now have 4 sheets stacked together. Place this, parmesan cheese side up, on top of the exposed greens filling, then trim away any overhanging filo from the bottom layers (I use kitchen scissors).
Step 5
Before baking, score/cut the pie into 8 slices, then place into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
Step 6
Remove from the oven and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Leftovers may be kept refrigerated or frozen.