Creamy Spinach Pie Filling Still In Test

Test kitchen Notes -

This can get soggy, still working out and testing how to avoid this and also test whether bechamel best with salted butter. Feta must be a tasty one otherwise this can be bland. Casetllo feta cubes is the one and 1,200 mg salt per 100g. Find that brand that comes in the basket. I am also playing around with adding some sliced camembert and 2 tbs chopped fresh dill leaves. Shop puff pastry seems better for this than home made puff pastry. Look at puff instructions below and also try half the amount of bechamel or maybe 3/4 of the amount. Also adding a sprinkle of parmesan before adding final layer of puff works well as well. As does brushing the top layer of pastry with butter before baking. Blasting both blind baking as well as first 12 mintues with filling is important. 220 degrees celsius with fan i think. Brushing with butter works but I think milk and egg wash works better. Use Semolina instead of flour to soak up liquid.

Alternative recipe - the one I think - 1 brown onion diced, 5 french shallots, diced, fried in butter and oil for 5 on medium high then covered for 5 on medium high to caramelise, add 2 cloves garlic and fry 1 mimute, then add 2 kale leaves very finley sliced (fibrous stem removed) and bunch of sliverbeet sliced, thick white sauce but not glue like (1 cup) with nutmeg added large amount of bruised feta cubes and 1/2 cup - 1 cup pizza cheese, a tiny sprinkle of dill tiny tiny is all that is needed, and pepper and 2- 3 eggs and sprinkle of semolina.overdoing egg can affect creaminess.

2 tbs olive oil

1 cup thick bechamel sauce, do not add nutmeg to your bechamel, add cracked black pepper instead

1 bunch silverbeet, washed, stalks removed and coarsely chopped (remove all stems from leaves)

6 eschalots, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed.

1/2 bunch dill leaves, washed and chopped

1/2 cup - 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup feta cheese, cubed and gently crushed. The cheese should be slightly crushed or bruised but still roughly holding its cube shape.

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 quantity home mad puff pastry or 4 sheets of frozen puff pastry

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan -forced)

Pour oil into a frying pan and heat on medium - high heat.

Add the leeks and a pinch of black pepper, saute for 5 minutes.

Add the silverbeet and fry on medium heat for 7 - 10 minutes, or until leaves have wilted.

Remove from heat and strain in a colander, press down on silverbeet and leek mixture, using a fork to squeeze out moisture. Leave in the colander and place over a bowl to cool and continue to strain.

Combine the egg, cheeses and bechamel, stir to combine. You may wish to add an additional desert spoon of flour for a slightly thicker spinach mixture.

Combine the egg mixture with the silverbeet mixture and stir well.

Cut pastry into 10 cm by 15 cm rectangles.

Spoon 1 1/2 tbs mixture onto pasty and roll into a roll, place on a lined baking tray with seam facing down.

Cut off ends to sharpen the edges for maximum puff.

The offcuts can also be baked in the oven.

Brush with egg wash ( a mixture of 1 beaten egg with 1 tbs cold water)

Bake for 15 minutes, turn down the heat to 160 degrees celsius (fan-forced) and bake for 10 minutes, or until browned.

Puff pastry (both quick puff or rough puff and also standard puff pastry) will not puff if there is a heavy filling placed on it before cooking. Try blind baking a rectangle of puff for 8-9 minutes at 220 degrees celsius, (dont overcook you don’t want it to be crunchy just puffed and slightly sealed) be careful with this. think crisp not crunchy. remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, place spinach filling on the rectangle, leaving a .5 cm border around the rectangle without any filling. Place a larger rectangle of puff pastry of the spinach filling and press down on the filling but not on the pastry edges. Bake for 12 minutes at 220 degrees celsius and then 5-8 minutes at 160 degrees celsius.