I think only Popeye can really get enthused about National Spinach Day, which is today. I remember growing up, eating thawed frozen bricks of shredded spinach, which was reheated in the microwave. It was bitter, it was soggy, it was nasty. I never got as ripped as Popeye, either. My dad had a Greek co-worker, and I think it was at her place (as a young child) that I tried spanakopita for the first time, at one of her cocktail parties. It, too, was bitter. Was it my young palate that just couldn’t enjoy this leafy green? Whatever it was, it kinda scarred me from ever trying to make spanakopita for fear it would just be a wasted endeavor which resulted in bitter disappointment.
However, yesterday was Greek Independence Day, today is Spinach Day, and I had nothing else planned for the blog...so why not? I consulted a few recipes, attempting to figure out why it can be bitter (olive oil and oxalic acid are the main culprits). What the hell is oxalic acid? I don’t know. I sucked at science, but let’s look at its elements: C2H2O4·2H2O….I’m no Mr. Wizard, but there’s H2O in there twice - so my uneducated, scientific opinion is that it must thrive in water. So, if I were to get the spinach as dry as possible, and use butter instead of olive oil, that should help. I found a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated and they used butter and advise pressing and wringing out the spinach to get as much water out as possible...I guess I should’ve applied myself in science classes a bit more than I did!
The result was not bitter. It was extremely delicious, but a bit too salty; and I am no slouch when it comes to employing salt in my meal preparation. However, I needed to know if it was authentic. My boss is Greek and I just so happened to have to go into the office yesterday (it’s been over 7 months!) and I could bring him some of this savory, spinach-y, minty, dilly, lemony, flaky goodness. However, when I woke up, the flaky had turned soggy. But, the flavor was still good. I hopefully imagined a limp spanakopita might evoke some childhood memory: like cold pizza or cold fried chicken. It did! He loved it and, unprompted, said its flaccid state reminded him of the day (or even longer) after a family party when his mother would have made trays of spanakopita. I gave him a few pieces for his wife and daughter...but, he ate them all: a ringing endorsement! So, here is the slightly less salty version of what I made.
Spanakopita adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
1/2 pound frozen phyllo dough (18 sheets)
3 bunches of spinach (savoy, or curly leaf, not the baby stuff; ~24 oz)
1/4 cup water
12 oz crumbled feta cheese
3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup mint leaves, minced
2 tbsp, fresh dill, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon (grated zest, plus 1 tbsp juice)
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
12 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
2 teaspoons of sesame seeds
Set the phyllo dough on the counter to thaw.
Roughly remove the stems from the spinach leaves. A few tender stalks are ok; you want to get to 20 oz of mostly spinach leaves, though. Place the leaves and the water in a large glass bowl, cover with a plate and microwave for 7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the microwave and let sit for a minute. Carefully remove the dish and place the leaves in the strainer bowl of a salad spinner to drain. Spin and drain, to remove water. N.B. If you don’t have a salad spinner, place the spinach in a colander and press the spinach with a rubber spatula.
Transfer the drained spinach to a cutting board and rough chop. Then, place the spinach in the middle of a clean kitchen towel. Wrap it up and twist over the sink, squeezing the towel to press out all of the spinach water (this will take a few minutes). Transfer the spinach back to the bowl and break up the clump with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients, from the feta to the cayenne pepper, and mix until thoroughly combined.
Preheat the oven to 425, with the rack in the lower third. Melt the butter.
Place a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet and brush it with some melted butter, leaving about an inch border. Place a sheet of phyllo on the buttered portion of the parchment paper. Brush the phyllo sheet with butter (it doesn’t have to be fully soaked/covered in butter). Repeat that process with 9 more sheets of phyllo (total of 10).
Then spoon on the filling. Spread it out into an even layer, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Cover the spinach filling with a sheet of phyllo. Brush it with melted butter and sprinkle on about 2 tablespoons of pecorino, repeat this process with 5 more sheets (total of 6). Then place another sheet on top and only brush with butter, no cheese, and cover that sheet with yet another layer of phyllo and brush it with butter.
Using open hands, and working from the middle outward, gently press the phyllo down, to remove any air pockets.
Using a sharp paring knife, and piercing just the first few layers of phyllo, make 24 equally sized squares. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds and place in the oven to bake for 28 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it cool in the baking tray for 10 minutes or longer (best within 2 hours).
Complete the pre-cut slices and serve. ____________________________ Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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