CarolCooks2…Today’s recipe from my kitchen…Cheese and chard pie with preserved Lemons…

This lovely Pie would make a lovely meat-free pie for Christmas dinner served warm with some lovely fresh vegetables…

Cheese and Chard, pie with Preserved Lemons.

Ingredients:

300 gm ricotta cheese
500 gm chard, remove the stalks and wash well.
2 tbsp olive oil
½ leek, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3 finely chopped cloves of garlic
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 slices of preserved lemon, pith and flesh removed then finely sliced
A pinch of cumin seeds
A pinch of fennel seeds
100 gm bunch of parsley, chervil or any fresh green herb of your choice, roughly chopped
1 lemon, juiced
3 eggs
300 gm feta cheese
1 whole nutmeg for grating.
270 gm pack filo pastry
rapeseed oil, for brushing

Let’s Cook!

Pre-heat the oven 190C/170C fan/Gas 5

Drain the ricotta in a sieve for a few mins to remove the whey…please don’t throw it away(no)pun intended it has so many uses and can also be frozen for later it can also be used in any baking recipe that calls for water (or even milk). …

Thoroughly wash the chard, and in a clean tea towel, dry the chard, then finely slice.

Heat the olive oil in a wok over medium heat, add the leek, onion, garlic, chilli, preserved lemon, cumin and fennel seeds with a big pinch of salt and cook until the leek and onion are softened and fragrant – about 10 mins.

Add the chard, herbs and a good squeeze of lemon juice and season, cook for a few mins until the leaves are wilted but not mushy. Allow to cool, and then squeeze the chard in a sieve to remove any excess moisture.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl until a little frothy and mix in the ricotta and feta. Stir in the greens mixture until well combined and grate over some nutmeg.

Remove the filo from the pack. Brush the inside of a 20 x 9cm deep cake tin with a little rapeseed oil, and lay a sheet of filo in it, smoothing over the base and up the sides with your fingers – it should cover the bottom and reach up to the sides, overhanging the edge.

Brush with more oil to cover the pastry and repeat, laying another sheet to make sure the base is completely covered. Gradually build up the layers, brushing with plenty of oil between sheets, adjusting the positioning of the sheets to get even coverage until the tin is fully lined.

Fill the tin with the cheese and greens mixture and cover with the filo, brushing with oil between layers and on the top. Add herbs between the layers for a pretty touch. Crumple the filo in the middle of the pie for an extra crispy ruffled texture and scatter with a few more fennel seeds.

Bake for 45-50 mins until golden and the filling is set. Allow the pie to cool for at least 20 mins before removing it from the tin.

When cooled completely you can chill in the fridge until it’s ready to serve.

I personally like this pie just warm with some steamed vegetables and roasted tomatoes on the vine…although it is also very nice served chilled with a lovely dressed salad…

Thank you for joining me today in my kitchen hope to see you tomorrow for Saturday Snippets…x