Spanakopita

Spanakopita is spinach and feta wrapped in layers of crisp phyllo and baked until golden. It is Greece's savoury pie, made in a full tray for the table or twisted into individual hand-sized triangles for a snack.

What it really is

Fresh spinach is wilted, squeezed thoroughly dry and mixed with crumbled feta, egg, spring onion and dill — the squeeze is the whole trick, since spinach still carrying water turns the layers beneath it soft rather than crisp. Sheets of phyllo, brushed with olive oil between each one, are layered underneath and over the filling, or wrapped around individual portions, then baked until the top is deeply golden and audibly crisp.

The layers are what phyllo is for. Each sheet is paper-thin on its own, and it is only the stack of buttered or oiled layers, baked together, that gives the pie its shattering top.

How it is served

• Cut into squares from a full tray, or as individual triangles for a snack.
• Warm rather than hot, since the filling holds its heat and a fresh-from-the-oven slice can still be scalding inside.
• Alongside a Greek salad or yogurt on the side when served as a starter rather than a snack.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag gluten, dairy and egg; the phyllo, feta and binder carry all three.
• It is naturally vegetarian, worth flagging plainly among meat-forward starters.
• Say if the pastry is made in-house; hand-layered phyllo holds a noticeably crisper structure than a pre-assembled frozen one.

The ingredients, allergens and dietary notes listed here describe a typical recipe. They are not a binding declaration for any particular restaurant: recipes, portion sizes and the products used can differ.