Winter Greens Pie

A Hortopita meets Borek meets Now We Cook kind of pie.

Come winter, the markets are overflowing with piles of dark, hardy, leafy greens — kale, silverbeet, spinach, rainbow chard, endive, rocket. From sweet and tender to peppery and bitter, each variety offers its own bold seasonal flavour.

Delicious sautéed in a pan with good olive oil, or lightly steamed and dressed with knobs of butter, or of course classically shredded and stirred into rice or soup, these greens are also exceptional when sandwiched between layers of tender-crisp pastry — especially with a few thoughtful additions to round them out (see: cheese!). All over the world, you can find versions of pastries filled with greens — recipes with long histories and infinite regional twists that break all the rules. This is our version: seasonal greens combined with herbs and soft cheese, wrapped in a homemade olive oil pastry, topped with mint and sesame, and served simply with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing. It’s light, but filling.

And one of the best things about this pie is that it can be enjoyed at room temperature or even cold, sliced into a perfect hand-sized piece — taking it beyond a typical knife-and-fork dinner and turning it into a truly satisfying snack.

Enjoy.

Amanda + Kitti x

P.S. You’ll notice a little change to our recipe format below! We hope you enjoy this new-old sequence.

WINTER GREENS PIE

• 8 (approx. 350g) large silverbeet leaves*

• 1/2 brown onion, finely chopped

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Salt flakes and cracked black pepper, to season

• 1 bunch fresh dill, tender stems and leaves finely chopped

• 160g soft marinated feta (we used a Persian-style feta)

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1 tsp each dried mint and sesame seeds

• Lemon wedges, for squeezing

Olive Oil Pastry

• 400g plain flour

• 80ml extra virgin olive oil

• Salt flakes, to season

• 2 egg yolks

• 140ml water

1. To make the olive oil pastry, place the flour, oil, and a generous pinch of salt in your food processor and process to combine. Mix the yolks and water, then, with the motor running, stream in the mixture until the dough just comes together. Turn out onto the bench, gently knead into a ball, wrap in plastic, and rest in the fridge for 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, cut the silverbeet leaves away from their white stalks and set the stalks aside. Roughly chop the leaves and blanch in boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Remove using tongs and transfer to a bowl of iced water to cool completely.

3. Dice the reserved stalks. Heat a large pan over medium heat and drizzle in some olive oil. Add the stalks and onion. Season with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring regularly, until just softened — but not coloured. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool slightly.

4. Remove the silverbeet leaves from the iced water and thoroughly squeeze out the excess water with your hands. Finely chop the leaves and add to the bowl along with the dill, feta and lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper.

5. Preheat your oven to 210°C (190°C fan-forced). Remove the dough from the fridge and divide it into two equal pieces. Roll one piece into a smooth ball, then roll it out on a clean bench into a large, thin round — about 1mm thick. Lift and turn the dough regularly as you roll to prevent sticking. Transfer the round to a large oven tray lined with a sheet of baking paper and spread the filling evenly into a circle, leaving a 2cm border.

6. Repeat with the second piece of dough and lay it over the filling, aligning the edges. Press the edges to seal, then lightly trim with a small, sharp knife to neaten the circle. Fold the sealed edge inward, pinching and twisting as you go to create a rope-like pattern all the way around.

7. Brush the pie all over with beaten egg and sprinkle with the mint and sesame seeds. Gently pierce the top with the tip of a knife a couple of times. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown all over.

8. Allow to cool slightly. The pie will have puffed up like a pillow as it baked but will come back down as it cools.

9. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges for squeezing.

*We used only silverbeet this time, but we have also used a combination of winter greens like silverbeet and kale. Try it with your favourites!