Wild Greens Pie (Hortopita)

Name: Wild Greens Pie (Hortopita)
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 4 cup Hard flour (Village flour) (600g); 1 tsp Salt (6g); 1 tbsp Vinegar (8ml); 2 tbsp Olive oil (18ml); 1 ½ cup Lukewarm water (375ml); 1/3 cup Olive oil (85ml); 1 cup Fresh spring onions, finely chopped (100g); 1 ½ cup Wild leek (skourantha) finely chopped (150g); 8 cup Wild spinach, roughly chopped (400g); 6 cup Wild greens (Swiss chard) roughly chopped (500g); 1 cup Fresh coriander, finely chopped (50g); 1 cup Fresh parsley, finely chopped (50g); ⅓ cup Fresh dill, finely chopped (15g); ⅓ cup Coarse wheat groats (pourgouri/bulgur) (75g); 1 tsp Salt (8g); ½ tsp Black pepper (1g); Cornstarch or fine semolina (niseste); ½ cup Olive oil (115ml)

Back in 1989, on Clean Monday (Koufi Day) in Kofinou, my mother always carried a small knife with her and would gather wild greens like wild lettuce (lapsanes), cardoon (kavkaries - wild artichokes), wild cabbage, wild spinach, and wild leeks (skouranthes). Whatever wild greens she found in the fields ended up in her basket. The next day, she would wash them well and make us 'siepastes'—pies similar to pumpkin pies (kolokotes), but instead of pumpkin, she used wild greens. She would bake them in the wood-fired oven, and in the heat of the oven, all the wild greens would caramelize. A taste that remains unforgettable.

INGREDIENTS

For the Dough

• 4 cup Hard flour (Village flour) (600g)
• 1 tsp Salt (6g)
• 1 tbsp Vinegar (8ml)
• 2 tbsp Olive oil (18ml)
• 1 ½ cup Lukewarm water (375ml)

For the Filling

• 1/3 cup Olive oil (85ml)
• 1 cup Fresh spring onions, finely chopped (100g)
• 1 ½ cup Wild leek (skourantha) finely chopped (150g)
• 8 cup Wild spinach, roughly chopped (400g)
• 6 cup Wild greens (Swiss chard) roughly chopped (500g)
• 1 cup Fresh coriander, finely chopped (50g)
• 1 cup Fresh parsley, finely chopped (50g)
• ⅓ cup Fresh dill, finely chopped (15g)
• ⅓ cup Coarse wheat groats (pourgouri/bulgur) (75g)
• 1 tsp Salt (8g)
• ½ tsp Black pepper (1g)

For Rolling Out the Dough

• Cornstarch or fine semolina (niseste)

For Brushing the Dough Layers

• ½ cup Olive oil (115ml)

METHOD

For the Filling

1. In a bowl, add the olive oil and sauté the spring onions and wild leeks. Add the spinach and greens and mix. Let them wilt for 3-4 minutes, then remove from the heat. Strain the mixture and let it cool. Add the coriander, parsley, dill, coarse wheat groats, salt, and pepper. Mix well and leave in the strainer until you prepare the dough.

For the Dough

1. In a bowl, combine the flour and salt and mix. Add the vinegar, olive oil, and mix. Add the water and knead until you have a soft dough. Alternatively, knead for 5 minutes in a mixer. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 5 pieces of 200g each. Form 5 small balls. Sprinkle your work surface with cornstarch/semolina and place one piece of dough on top.
2. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with extra cornstarch/semolina and roll it out into a large, thin sheet. Sprinkle it again with a little cornstarch/semolina and roll it around your rolling pin to transfer it more easily to the baking pan. Drizzle the base of a rectangular pan (22x32 cm) with a little olive oil. Lay the sheet on top, allowing it to overhang. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
3. Roll out the second sheet. Place it in the pan, scrunching it slightly so it only covers the base. Drizzle with olive oil. Place half of the filling on top. Roll out another sheet and place it directly over the filling. Drizzle with olive oil and spread the remaining filling on top. Roll out the next 2 sheets in the same way and cover the filling, scrunching them slightly so they cover the filling well without overhanging. Drizzle them with olive oil.
4. Cut the pie into 6-8 pieces and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (fan assisted) for 1 hour.

Χρυσω Λεφου

Wild Greens Pie (Hortopita)

INGREDIENTS

For the Dough

For the Filling

For Rolling Out the Dough

For Brushing the Dough Layers

METHOD

For the Filling

For the Dough

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

Crustless Chicken Pie

Koupes (Cypriot Meat Pies)

Shepherd's Pie

Χρυσω Λεφου

INGREDIENTS

For the Dough

For the Filling

For Rolling Out the Dough

For Brushing the Dough Layers

METHOD

For the Filling

For the Dough

RELATED RECIPES

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

Crustless Chicken Pie

Koupes (Cypriot Meat Pies)

Shepherd's Pie