BYREK WITH SPINACH & FETa
Serves 4, Ready in 45 Minutes
Byrek is one of the most popular foods in Albania and there are loads of versions of it! From different flavours to the type of pastry. Now, while I love homemade byrek filo and it does taste incredible! I don’t always have the time or space to make it so this is an easier version of my recipe that anyone can make!
Byrek can be formed in swirls or layered like lasagne. I love serving them in swirl form when guests come because it looks really impressive and it also means you can make lots of small ones if you’re serving them as part of a feast too.
It’s worth saying that you really need a pastry brush for this recipe to spread the butter. I love my silicone pastry brush for this!
INGREDIENTS
85g of butter, melted
1 Pack (250g) of filo pastry sheets (there should be at least 10 sheets)
170g Spinach, chopped
200g Feta cheese, chopped
1 Egg, beaten
METHOD
Heat the oven to 200 degrees (180 degrees fan)
In a bowl, mix together the chopped spinach and feta until combined.
Lay out a full sheet of the filo pastry horizontally so that the longest edges of the sheet are at the top and bottom and the smaller edges are at the sides.
With your silicone pastry brush, sprinkle the melted butter across the entire sheet. Be careful to not overdo it with the butter as you don’t want the sheet to tear from getting too soaked.
About an inch away from the bottom edge of the pastry sheet, add a line of the spinach and feta mix in a line across the width of the sheet, leaving a few centimetres at each edge clear.
Starting from the edge closest to you, gently roll the pastry away from you into a sausage shape containing the spinach filling. Be careful not to rip the pastry.
Wind the sausage shape into a wheel in your chosen baking tray.
Continue creating these sausage shapes and adding them around the wheel you make first to use up all of the sheets of pastry. Use little brushes of the butter to join pieces together where needed.
Before putting the byrek in the oven, brush a little beaten egg oven the whole byrek. Don’t worry about using the whole egg as it will likely be too much. Just use as much as you need to get a thin, even coating over the whole byrek.
Bake in the oven for 35- 40 minutes until the top is golden brown all over.
You can serve warm or leave it to cool also. I love it warm though!
When you’re serving swirled byrek like this, it’s traditional to cut it into slices like you would a cake.
