Mixed meat Vassilopita with phyllo pastry - Traditional New Year's savoury pie
This year we thought to go for something totally different for our New Year's Eve dinner trying out two recipes, one savoury and one sweet (which you will find in the next post). Two Vassilopitas in the same evening is too much you might think but it is the Holiday season and some exaggerations can be allowed:-)) In most areas of Greece the New Year's cake is a sweet treat but there is also this delicious traditional recipe of meat pie coming from Epirus region which changes everything many of us (especially coming from big cities) knew regarding the Vassilopita. Still, though, what this savoury Vassilopita has in common with the sweet ones is the lucky coin inserted somewhere in the filling waiting for that person to win it and feel happy and lucky for the rest of the year!
In a large non-stick frying pan melt the 2 tbsp of butter on medium heat. Add the meats in along with the grated onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon.
Add the trahana pasta, season with salt and pepper and stir. Pour over with 1/2 tea-cup of warm water, turn the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and simmer the ingredients for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and leave aside to cool.
Get the pan and lay 4-5 phyllo sheets at the bottom brushing each one with some butter and allowing some of the pastry to hang over the rim. Spread half of the filling and smooth with a spatula. Lay 1-2 more sheets brushed with butter and spread the rest of the filling. Scatter with the crumbled feta and cover the pie with the rest of the phyllo sheets again brushing each one with butter.
Brush the surface of the pie with the rest of the butter, drizzle on top with a bit of water and gently score the top sheets with a sharp knife.
Put in the oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the pie is golden coloured and the phyllo nicely crunchy. Leave aside to rest for 10-15 minutes before you cut into pieces and serve.
Recipe from "Cook Book" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper
Ingredients (for 6-8 people):
1Kg of pork meat (thigh or shoulder), cut in bite-size pieces
500gr. of chicken meat (breast and thigh), cut in bite-size pieces
1 large yellow onion, kept whole
1 large yellow onion, grated
2 tea-cups of Greek sweet trahana pasta
1 ½ tea-cup of Feta cheese, crumbled
3-4 whole cloves
4-5 whole black peppercorns
3-4 stalks of celery
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp of butter
3-4 tbsp of butter, melted for greasing
salt
pepper
10-12 thick phyllo pastry sheets (depending on their thickness)
Method:
Put in a large pot the pork, the chicken, the celery, the bay leaves, the whole onion, the cloves and the peppercorns. Fill with plenty of water, season with salt and boil on medium heat for 30 minutes while frequently skimming the scum off the surface using a slotted spoon. Drain in a colander, discard the spices and the vegetables and leave aside. When the meat is cooled down finely chop it and keep it on a plate.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush the bottom and the sides of a round oven pan (about 30cm) with some butter.
1Kg of pork meat (thigh or shoulder), cut in bite-size pieces
500gr. of chicken meat (breast and thigh), cut in bite-size pieces
1 large yellow onion, kept whole
1 large yellow onion, grated
2 tea-cups of Greek sweet trahana pasta
1 ½ tea-cup of Feta cheese, crumbled
3-4 whole cloves
4-5 whole black peppercorns
3-4 stalks of celery
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp of butter
3-4 tbsp of butter, melted for greasing
salt
pepper
10-12 thick phyllo pastry sheets (depending on their thickness)
Method:
Put in a large pot the pork, the chicken, the celery, the bay leaves, the whole onion, the cloves and the peppercorns. Fill with plenty of water, season with salt and boil on medium heat for 30 minutes while frequently skimming the scum off the surface using a slotted spoon. Drain in a colander, discard the spices and the vegetables and leave aside. When the meat is cooled down finely chop it and keep it on a plate.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush the bottom and the sides of a round oven pan (about 30cm) with some butter.
In a large non-stick frying pan melt the 2 tbsp of butter on medium heat. Add the meats in along with the grated onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon.
Add the trahana pasta, season with salt and pepper and stir. Pour over with 1/2 tea-cup of warm water, turn the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and simmer the ingredients for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and leave aside to cool.
Get the pan and lay 4-5 phyllo sheets at the bottom brushing each one with some butter and allowing some of the pastry to hang over the rim. Spread half of the filling and smooth with a spatula. Lay 1-2 more sheets brushed with butter and spread the rest of the filling. Scatter with the crumbled feta and cover the pie with the rest of the phyllo sheets again brushing each one with butter.
Brush the surface of the pie with the rest of the butter, drizzle on top with a bit of water and gently score the top sheets with a sharp knife.
Put in the oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the pie is golden coloured and the phyllo nicely crunchy. Leave aside to rest for 10-15 minutes before you cut into pieces and serve.
Amateur Cook Professional Eater
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