Close to a wonder in the food world is well-made spanakopita. I fell in love with the stuff at The Grove restaurant in Elm Grove. Since I cook, I learned to make it at home. Here’s the recipe I like best.
A few modifications: I never use fresh spinach. A couple of packages of frozen, thawed and well-drained, work just fine. Sometimes I leave out the mushrooms.
The rosemary and nutmeg give a wholeness to the flavor. I’d discourage you from skimping there.
Don’t fear phyllo! Moisture is the key. A wet paper towel over the package will keep it pliable if you happen to need a break. Also, neatness matters not at all. Just get it in there and the recipe goo will do its magic.
Spanakopita can be a meal alone, with lamb kabobs, as breakfast – you name it. A 9 x 12 pan is lucky to last 24 hours around here. It’s also vegetarian (not vegan) friendly and can keep several generations of guests happy as a buffet component.
Thanks! The mushrooms and rosemary scare me a little; it seems like they would the dish in a new direction. This is the version I make:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/spanakopita
It will work if you want to make the little phyllo triangles, too. The triangles can be frozen easily, then stored for when you need them. I sometimes substitute the frozen spinich for the fresh, sometimes use just a can of spray olive oil instead of the butter. Its good, but hey, butter is butter!
The only real Greek cooks I know (two) never use fresh spinach. Persian cooking, too, uses a lot of leafy herbs, and the ladies I know never use fresh ones. It’s a curious thing.
I can’t imagine trying to manhandle three pounds of spinach!
Trust me on the rosemary. It’s really one of my favorite herbs.
I don’t care for rosemary that much. I’m ok with waving a sprig in the vicinity of a chicken now and then.
I think I cook for more people than you do–except when you’re catering for the film crew!–and I like leftovers. It IS a lot of spinich, but it’s going in a much bigger pan than your recipe calls for, so it works out.