Hi, hello, good afternoon,
I hope you’re ready to make something you’ll be eating all week. Remember how I said last week that storebought is fine? Enter the Slab Pie, c/o rolls of puff pastry.
Stupidly easy to assemble, with a perfect pastry to filling ratio and really very customisable, I have been making this every Sunday night for the last couple of weeks. The recipe will give you a generous 8 portions, meaning you will have food in the fridge for at least another (if not a few) days, and the zingy green filling will make you feel very ~Goop~.
We used to eat a lot of spinach tarts at home, but I think we can all agree having to cook 2 bags of spinach for each individual serving is a pain - not to mention how watery spinach is after cooking, and how it leaves your pastry soggy with brownish liquid. Spring greens keep their shape, bite, heft, and don’t leak, so I’m using them as a low effort substitute. You could, of course, use spinach, but why? Lemons give the filling the brightness greens usually lack, but if it’s not your thing substitute them for nutmeg.
This recipe is very much a Sunday evening activity to me, which means Comfort! Listening! Only!. I listened to Top Hits of 2008 and was both entertained and soothed (I was 12 and very much ‘getting into music’ if you know what I mean):
2 storebought sheets of puff pastry
1kg spring greens
250g ricotta
100g feta
1 lemon, completely zested and half juiced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg, beaten
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan/GM 5.
While the water comes up to temperature, prep the greens by slicing off the end and then shredding the leaves with your knife into approx. 1cm strips.
Once the water is boiling, plunge the greens into the water for 10sec, then remove and set aside to cool. You will likely have to work in batches, unless you have a super pot. I like to lay the greens onto a baking sheet to cool.
After the greens are cooked and cooled - this should only take a few mins all in all - transfer them to a large mixing bowl, add the ricotta and crumble over the feta.
Season generously with salt and pepper, as well as the lemon zest and juice. Do not be tempted to add more zest - it will become more fragrant as it bakes, and too much zest without juice can taste soapy (I have made this mistake). Mix well and set aside.
Unroll your first sheet of puff onto a baking sheet, with the paper facing down. Trim the paper to fit the tray, and voila, your pie base is ready.
Tip the greens mix onto the middle of the pastry sheet and smooth into an even rectangle, leaving a 2cm edge all the way around. Brush the edge with the beaten egg.
Unroll the second sheet of puff, and place over the filling, like a blanket. Peel off the paper and smooth the pastry over with your hand.Use your fingers to seal the edges, pulling lightly on the top sheet so it reaches the ends. Try to avoid big air pockets (but, tbh, it’s not a big deal if it’s not perfect).
Cut a little cross or slit on the top to let the steam out during cooking, then crimp the edges by pressing down all the way around with a fork. Finally, brush liberally with the remaining egg.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25min, until the pastry is well puffed and deeply golden. Leave to rest for a few minutes before serving.
And that’s it. It keeps well in the fridge for about a week. I really like this filling, and it makes me feel ‘healthy’ as I am eating ‘greens’, but the more I think about it the more I’m convinced you can fill this with anything. Ham and cheese. Roast vegetables. Frangipane and stewed fruits??? Slab Pie 4ever.
Anyways. Enough green - next week is Crack Cookies.
Mia