300g spinach, stems trimmed, leaves washed and roughly chopped
200g feta, crumbled
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1/4tsp ground nutmeg
15g dill, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly whipped
1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2tsp Maldon sea salt
Method
To make the filling, squeeze the chopped spinach in a clean teatowel to remove as much liquid as possible, put it in a mixing bowl and add the rest of the filling ingredients. Mixwell and put in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C F/Gas 7 and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Lay the filo pastry on a clean, dry surface and cover with a damp teatowel to prevent it drying out. Work with one filo sheet at a time, positioning it with the long edge facing you. Generously brush it with ghee, then fold it in half towards you and brush with more ghee.
Spread around 90g of the filling along the nearest long edge of filo, leaving a 3cm gap at each end free of filling. Roll it loosely into a snake, brushing with ghee as you go. Curl it into a spiral shape, tucking the end underneath. Brush with more ghee and sit it on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining pastry sheets.
In a cup, beat the egg yolk with 2tsp water and a pinch of salt. Use it to brush the top and sides of the pastries, then sprinkle the poppy seeds over and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until crisp and golden-brown.
Serve warm or at room temperature, with a sprinkling of chopped dill
COOK’S NOTE
You can assemble the börek in advance and keep, uncooked, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day before cooking.
Recipes and photographs taken from Arabica by James Walter, photography by Jad Al Younis (Carnival, £30)
