AuthorMimoza TresovaAlbanian spinach pie is a savory dish made with flaky baked phyllo dough layers filled with spinach, feta cheese, eggs and herbs for flavor. Byrek is traditionally made with several phyllo dough sheets that have been thinly rolled out by hand. It can also be made with ready made pre-rolled phyllo pastry sheets.
Albanian spinach pie is a savory dish made with flaky baked phyllo dough layers filled with spinach, feta cheese, eggs and herbs for flavor. Byrek is traditionally made with several phyllo dough sheets that have been thinly rolled out by hand. It can also be made with ready made pre-rolled phyllo pastry sheets.
Preheat oven to 380° F.
Lightly oil a 10-11 inch baking pan or skillet.
Add spinach to a bowl and season with salt and black pepper. Stir in feta cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, spring onion and eggs and mix well.
Place 6-7 phyllo pastry sheets one by one crisscross covering and tucking with your fingers all around the skillet or pie dish. Most of the phyllo pastry sheets should be hanging outside the pie dish. Brush lightly with oil between each layer. For homemade phyllo dough sheets see my phyllo dough recipe.
Spread the spinach filling evenly inside the phyllo lined pie dish. Fold the overhanging phyllo on the top to cover the spinach filling. While covering the filling brush with oil every phyllo layer.
Brush the top phyllo dough with butter.
Bake the spinach pie for 35-40 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown.
Let it sit for 5 minutes prior serving.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 380° F.
Lightly oil a 10-11 inch baking pan or skillet.
Add spinach to a bowl and season with salt and black pepper. Stir in feta cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, spring onion and eggs and mix well.
Place 6-7 phyllo pastry sheets one by one crisscross covering and tucking with your fingers all around the skillet or pie dish. Most of the phyllo pastry sheets should be hanging outside the pie dish. Brush lightly with oil between each layer. For homemade phyllo dough sheets see my phyllo dough recipe.
Spread the spinach filling evenly inside the phyllo lined pie dish. Fold the overhanging phyllo on the top to cover the spinach filling. While covering the filling brush with oil every phyllo layer.
Brush the top phyllo dough with butter.
Bake the spinach pie for 35-40 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown.
Let it sit for 5 minutes prior serving.
Before we could buy Phyllo dough in the store, I would help my mom make “Lakror.” She would roll out each layer of dough so thin on a dowel (about 1” dia). I’d estimate about twice the thickness of one sheet of phyllo. She’d place it over the top wrinkling it as she went and I’d butter it with 2-3 TBS of melted butter spread by hand. We probably used 15 layers. In the oven it rose up like it was pregnant and came out amazing.
When Phyllo dough came out, she didn’t want to “cheat” but one day she tried it and never went back to the tedious rolling paper thin dough (often ripping).
I learned the recipe and have passed it to many a friend.
Thanks for bringing that fond memory back.
Thank you Wayne so much for sharing your heartwarming story and personal connection to making lakror with your mom. It’s incredible how food can be intertwined with cherished memories. It’s wonderful that you’ve continued the tradition and shared this special recipe with friends, keeping those memories alive.
Thank you for taking the time to share your nostalgic moment with me. It’s comments like yours that make the world of cooking and sharing recipes so meaningful to me.
Wishing you many more delicious moments and fond memories in your culinary adventures!