* Exported from MasterCook *
Thracian Late-Summer Pitta with Mixed Greens
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 32 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowerCarbs
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 pounds mixed greens -- 1/2 lb tender kale, trimmed of all yellow leaves and roots, or young mustard greens; 1 pound Swiss chard leaves, stemmed; 1/2 pound spinach or New Zealand spinach, stemmed
1 bunch scallion
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1 pinch sugar
2 tablespoons snipped dill -- fresh
1 cup grated Asiago cheese -- Parmesan, or pecorino
1 1/2 cups grated top-quality fresh unsalted mozzarella -- or akkawi (cow's milk cheese; firmer than feta, it melts beautifully, is less salty, and has a milder flavor)
1 1/2 cups ricotta -- or cottage cheese
3 eggs -- to 4 eggs, lightly beaten
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
olive oil -- (mixed with melted butter, if desired), to brush or sprinkle each commercial phyllo sheet
To finish: -- batter topping, if you are using commercial phyllo
1 pound commercial phyllo dough -- or 1 recipe Macedonian Phyllo Dough
Wash the Swiss chard thoroughly; discard thick stems or use for some other purpose. Shred the leaves and fine stems, toss with salt, and leave to wilt for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, wilt or steam the kale and spinach, squeeze dry, and chop coarsely.
Rinse the chard under running water to remove the salt; drain and squeeze to extract as much moisture as possible.
In a 10-inch skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil; add the scallions and cook, covered, over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until soft, and transfer to a side dish. Add another tablespoon oil to the skillet; add the greens and cook uncovered, about 3 minutes, stirring, or until the oil has been absorbed, and transfer to a mixing bowl to cool. (Up to this point, can be prepared up to 1 day in advance; cook, cover, and refrigerate.)
Add scallions, dill, sugar, black pepper, and cheeses to the mixing bowl; add salt to taste and mix well with hands. Add the eggs to the mixture.
Preheat the oven to 400F. and set the oven rack in the center.
If you have used the Macedonian Phyllo Dough recipe, follow that recipe instruction for assembling and baking the dough.
If you are using commercial phyllo, unroll the pastry sheets. Oil a 14 or 16-inch pizza pan. Arrange half the leaves one on top of the other so that they barely overlap the rim of the pan, quickly and lightly sprinkling or spraying with oil between each layer. Spread the prepared mixture in one even layer over the pastry base to within 1-inch of the sides, then cover with the remaining phyllo, brushing every layer with oil. Trim the thick edges. Use a sharp knife to score the top of the phyllo (a circle 4-inches inside of the pan circle. Score the inner circle into 8 slices, and the surrounding 4-inch rim into 12 rectangles, sliced into 24 triangles). Brush the surface with the flour, oil and water mixture.
Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F and bake 45 minutes longer, or until golden brown. Remove the pie from the oven, and cool on a rack 10 minutes before cutting and serving with a small spatula. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges, if desired.
Makes one 15 to 16-inch pie (32 pieces)
Batter Topping to Finish Commercial Phyllo Dough
Mix 4 Tablespoons flour, 2 Tablespoons oil, and enough water to make a loose batter; strain it, if necessary, and brush it all over the surface of the pie just before baking. It simulates the appearance of a homemade dough.
Macedonian Phyllo Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour, about 1 pound
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water
To roll out the dough: additional flour mixed with a little cornstarch
To brush or spray the dough: additional oil
To fill: 5 to 6 cups prepared filling
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, egg, oil, and water, blending well. Turn out onto a floured work surface (marble is too cold for this dough) and knead until smooth and soft ("as soft as an earlobe"), 2 to 3 minutes
2. Divide the dough in half, brush or spray with oil, and set on an oiled plate; cover with an inverted bowl and put in a warm place at least one hour.
3. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and cornstarch. Remove one of the rolls from the plate; dust it lightly with the flour and roll, using even strokes, into a large square, about 2x2-feet. (Ideally, the dough is rolled out with a 3-foot extra-thin rolling pin - an untreated wooden broomstick or curtain rod will do. The length and thinness of the pin enable you to roll a round of dough into a thin sheet. Once you get used to the thinner rolling pin, you will see that it is actually easier to use than an ordinary pin, and faster too.)
Set a dessert plate in the center of the dough. Brush the dough with oil Make 8 to 10 slits, at equal distances, from the rim of the plate to the outer rim of the pastry.
4. Remove the plate. Brush or spray the dough generously with oil. Fold one of the wedges over the center; working clockwise, repeat with the remaining sections. Brush the top with oil and fold to make a rectangle. Allow to rest 10 minutes. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
5. Preheat the oven to 375F.
6. Roll out the first dough "packet" to fit into an oiled 15 to 16-inch pizza pan; spread the filling on top, leaving a 1-inch edge. Repeat with the second packet of dough, but roll it out to 18 to 20-inches. Brush the sheet with oil and roll it up around the pin. Cover the filling, allowing the sheet to dough to unfurl into wavy wrinkles.
7. Trim the edges of the pie, and set to bake on the center oven rack until golden brown, about 1 hour. Reduce oven heat to 325F and bake 15 minutes longer. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
Makes upper and lower crust for 15 to 16-inch pie
AuthorNote: Here is a popular Thracian pie, made in late summer when young, tender greens are scarce. The local people use the spinach-like leaf amaranth or pigweed (Greek vlita). These greens are a little tasteless early-fall kale, Swiss chard, and New Zealand spinach, all easily foraged in the produce section of a supermarket in late summer. My choices of greens and cheeses are only suggestions. When I bake a pie like this, I buy and use what looks young and fresh.
Notes to the Cook: If young, tender kale is unavailable, substitute another tender green. Mature leaves, especially of the mustard and cabbage families, should not be used in these pies, for two reasons: Salting will intensify their bitterness; these vegetables remain too aggressive in flavor even after blanching.
A nice idea for flavoring mixed-green pies, taught to me by Diane Kochilas, the author of "Food and Wines of Greece", is to thinly slice a fresh fennel bulb, blanch for 1 minutes, then spread the slices among the greens. The anise flavor goes especially well with spinach and beet greens.
Cuisine:
"Greek"
Source:
"Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean by Paula Wolfert, 1994"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"Sept 2011"
Yield:
"1 15 to 16-inch pie"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 111 Calories; 6g Fat (60.1% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 32mg Cholesterol; 161mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 3562 922 0 0 0 0 0 4453
