The Greek cookbook author Aglaia Kremezi has no problem making phyllo dough at home whenever she makes anything pie-like. With a little practice, anyone can do it. For these simple skillet pies, she recommends grilling them in an iron stovetop ridged pan or on a grate over coals. Filled with feta and herbs, these flat thin-crust pies give a new meaning to grilled pizza.
Ingredients
For the phyllo dough:
- 3 cups/375 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Cornstarch or rice flour, for dusting
For the filling:
- 8 ounces/225 grams spinach or mustard greens, or a combination of cooking greens
- 1 cup/30 grams chopped parsley
- ½ cup/15 grams finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Maras pepper or crushed red pepper
- 1 cup/120 grams crumbled feta cheese
- Olive oil, for brushing
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
197 calories; 8 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 8 milligrams cholesterol; 303 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
12 small pies
Preparation
- Make the phyllo dough: Combine flour and salt in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Add olive oil, vinegar and 1/2 cup cold water. Mix at medium speed for about 5 minutes to obtain a smooth, soft dough. If the dough seems dry, add up to 3 tablespoons more water. Wrap in plastic film and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: Blanch greens in salted boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain, rinse with cool water, squeeze dry and chop fine. In a small bowl, put chopped greens, parsley, dill, oregano, black pepper to taste, a pinch of crushed chile pepper and the feta. Mix with a fork to combine.
- Give dough a quick knead and divide into 6 pieces. Dust dough with cornstarch or rice flour, then roll each piece of dough as thinly as possible, stretching gradually to a diameter of 16 inches. Alternatively, roll dough to the thinnest possible setting of a pasta machine. Cut each circle in half and dust pieces with cornstarch or rice flour and stack off to the side. Alternatively, roll dough to the thinnest possible setting of a pasta machine and make smaller pies.
- Assemble the pies: Put a ridged stovetop grill or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. For each pie, lay 1 sheet phyllo on work surface and brush with olive oil. Cover half the sheet lightly with filling, using 3 to 4 tablespoons of mixture per pie. Fold over the other side and press down to seal pie. It will be a rough, very flat triangle shape.
- Brush both exterior sides with olive oil, carefully lay pie on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and crisp (reduce heat as necessary). Flip pie and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and crisp. Remove and serve warm; cut into smaller pieces if desired. Continue to make pies with remaining ingredients.
- AND TO DRINK … Add together the brisk bitterness of the greens, the sharp bite of the feta and the flaky texture of the phyllo dough, and the sum demands a dry, lively white or rosé. Greece is a good place to start: Assyrtikos from Santorini and moschofileros from the Peloponnese are natural partners. So are island whites from Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia, or whites and rosés from the Provençal appellation of Cassis. You wouldn’t go wrong with Sancerre or other dry sauvignon blancs from around the world, as long as they’re made in a leaner style. Nor would a straight-ahead Chablis be out of place. Same goes for tangy rosés from all over. If you insist on a red, perhaps a light, vibrant frappato from Sicily will work. And as is so often the case, fino sherry will do wonders. ERIC ASIMOV
1 hour
Dining and Cooking