The variations to these simple filo pies are endless. Here, I have combined potatoes and leafy greens as we straddle the seasons. Later in spring I might skip the potatoes and use all greens, and feta in place of the halloumi. Leftover roasted vegetables mashed up with a little spice and some well-flavoured cheese is another option. Tip: The key to preventing the thin pastry from splitting when rolling is to not roll the spirals too tightly, as they will expand a little during cooking. Plus make sure the waiting filo sheets don't dry out - keep them covered with a damp tea towel.
Servings 4
Prep Time 30 minutesmins
Cook Time 35 minutesmins
Ingredients
4-5medium agria potatoes (about 600g), peeled
salt
3tbspolive oil
1leek or onion, sliced
4-5large leaves silverbeet or kale (about 300g), stalks removed and chopped
1tbspdried or fresh dill, chopped (can also use fresh parsley)
about 120g halloumi, grated (or crumbled feta)
cracked pepper
40gbutter
12sheets filo pastry
sesame seeds for sprinkling (I used black sesame seeds)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C (fan 160C).
Chop the potatoes into 3-4 cm chunks and place into a saucepan with a big pinch of salt. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil (tip: use cold water for old potatoes and boiling water for new potatoes). Simmer for about 15 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain well in a colander.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the leek or onion with a pinch of salt and sauté until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add the greens along with 1 tablespoon of water, cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes. Then remove the lid and sauté until excess moisture has evaporated - turn up the heat if needed. Remove from the heat.
Tip drained potatoes into a large bowl and use a fork to roughly mash. Add the dill and cheese, and season well with cracked pepper. Tip in the greens mixture and combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Use this to grease a 25cm round baking dish (or similar).
Unroll the filo and lay two sheets stacked together on the bench with the longest side closest to you. Use a pastry brush to generously brush with the melted butter. Spread about 3 heaped tablespoons of the potato mixture along the long edge of the filo. Roll up the pastry into a log, brushing along the length of the exposed pastry as you go. Coil into a spiral (not too tight) and place into the prepared dish. Repeat with the remaining filling mixture and filo sheets.
Scatter with sesame seeds and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
Serve with a spring salad, and chutney or seasoned yoghurt on the side.