Ispanaklı Börek — Spinach and Cheese Börek

Crisp filo layers around a filling of spinach, onion and white cheese.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 35 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
❌
Serves
8 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 10 sheets filo pastry (270g pack, defrosted)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 500g fresh spinach, washed
  • 200g white brined cheese (beyaz peynir) or feta, crumbled
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • For brushing: 100ml whole milk
  • For brushing: 50ml sunflower oil
  • For brushing: 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds, to sprinkle

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes. Add the spinach in batches, stirring until wilted. Cook until the liquid has evaporated, then cool and squeeze dry.

  2. Mix the spinach with the cheese, pepper and nutmeg.

  3. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease a 28cm round or 20 x 30cm rectangular baking tin.

  4. Whisk the milk, oil and egg together. Layer 5 filo sheets in the tin, brushing each with the mixture and letting the edges overhang.

  5. Spread over the spinach filling, fold over the overhanging pastry, then top with 5 more brushed sheets, tucking in the edges.

  6. Pour over any remaining mixture, score into squares, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until deep golden. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting.