Spring pie
Serves 4
Ingredients
Olive oil pastry
200g plain flour
½ tsp salt
1½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup cold water
¼ tsp sea salt flakes for top of pie
Filling
200g streaky bacon, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
600g mixture of spinach, beetroot leaves, silverbeet, kale etc, washed well and any tough leaves removed
handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
75g feta cheese crumbled
75g fresh curds (optional)
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt
2 large eggs, beaten
Method
Process for about 1 minute until mixture forms a ball.
Transfer to a floured work surface and knead for 2-3 minutes until supple and smooth. Put into a bowl, cover with a clean cloth and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Filling
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil and plunge in the greens. Cook for 1 minute then drain and cool. Squeeze out remaining water then roughly chop.
Heat up a large heavy-based frypan with 1 Tbsp oil, add the bacon and cook over moderate heat so that the fat renders down. Add the onion and garlic, continuing to cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the greens and toss through bacon fat. Tip all this mixture into a large bowl.
Add the cheese, plenty of cracked black pepper and taste for salt, adjusting if necessary. Blend in the eggs.
Heat the oven to 180degC.
To assemble
Divide the pastry into two and roll one round of pastry about 25cm diameter (size of a large dinner plate). Roll second half so that it is a little smaller in size about 20cm diameter (this is the top).
Lightly oil a large baking sheet and place the smaller of the two rounds on the tray. Spread the greens mixture generously over the base, leaving 4cm space around the edge of the tray.
Place the second round over the pie and allow the pastry to fall over the mixture. Seal edges, then fold extra pastry from base over sealed edges and press together. Pierce top here and there with a fork and drizzle with 1 Tbsp oil. Scatter with the sea salt and bake for 30-40 mins or until golden and pastry is cooked.
Remove from oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
• Alison Lambert, chef at the Otago Farmers Market, will be demonstrating this recipe at the market on Saturday morning.
