Kreatopita Argostoli Recipes

KREATOPITA ARGOSTOLI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes.
• Drain, cool and chop.
• Lightly brush a 9x13 inch pan with melted butter.
• Place 1 phyllo sheet in pan and lightly brush with butter. (Of course, I prefer to brush it with olive oil instead of butter.).
• Continue adding phyllo sheets for a total of 12, brushing each one lightly with butter (you don't need to completely cover each phyllo sheet).
• Spread cooked rice over phyllo, then sprinkle with minced garlic.
• Add lamb in an even layer, and sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Place 1 cup diced potatoes over lamb.
• Arrange quarters of eggs, then sprinkle with parsley, mint and lemon zest.
• Add crumbled feta cheese.
• Pour on olive oil and beef broth.
• Sprinkle with oregano and pepper.
• Finally, add beaten egg.
• Top with remaining 12 phyllo sheets brushed lightly with melted butter (or olive oil :D).
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• During the last 10 minutes, raise the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes.
• Cut into diamonds or squares and serve warm.
• I like to serve this with sour cream, or even homemade tzatziki.

GREEK MEAT PIE (KREATOPITA)

Steps:

• To make the filling for this traditional Kreatopita, heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large heavy bottomed, lidded saucepan or casserole dish set over a medium high heat. Salt the meat well and fry the meat in batches until well browned, adjusting the heat if necessary to make sure you don't get burnt bits on the bottom of the pan. Set the meat aside.
• Lower the heat to medium low. Finely chop the onion and gently fry it along with another pinch of salt in the fat leftover from the meat for 6-8 minutes until the onion has softened and started to brown. Peel and crush the garlic cloves and add them to the onion, cooking for a further minute until aromatic.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute or two until slightly caramelised. Roughly chop the tomatoes and stir them in too, cooking for another few minutes until they start to break down. Add the dried marjoram.
• Add the wine and allow to reduce by half. Add 200ml / 3/4 cups water, and turn up the heat to bring the filling up to a boil. Reduce to low, clap on the lid and leave to simmer for an hour, until the meat is tender.
• Roughly chop the herbs and stir them into the pie filling, along with the uncooked rice. Leave to cool to room temperature.
• Check the seasoning of the cooled pie filling, adding pepper and more salt if necessary.
• To assemble the Kreatopita, pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit and liberally butter your deepest square baking dish roughly 22 cm / 9 inches square.
• Divide the puff pastry block into two, one half slightly smaller than the other to make the lid.
• On a well floured surface, roll the larger pastry block out into a large square, large enough to comfortably line the dish with a few centimetres / at least 1/2 inch to spare above the filling line. Use this to line the dish, using your fingers to push the pastry into the corners.
• Spoon in the filling. Lightly beat the egg, and brush the exposed edge of the pastry along the top.
• Grate the cheese and sprinkle it evenly across the top of the pie filling.
• Roll out the second block of pastry and top the pie with it, pressing down to seal the pastry along the egg wash line and trimming off any excess. Brush the top with egg wash and cut two small holes in the middle of the pie to allow steam to escape.
• Bake for 1 hour until the pastry is golden. Leave to stand for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

KREATOPITA (GREEK MEAT PIE USING PHYLLO PASTRY)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, coat bottom of pan with olive oil and add ground beef (and mushrooms, if using). Cook, breaking up meat with back of spoon, and stirring often until meat and mushrooms are browned and liquid emitted has evaporated (make sure all the liquid has evaporated - you don't want a soggy pita!).
• Add onions, garlic, tomato paste, oregano and cinnamon and cook until liquid emitted from onions has evaporated, too.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times to bring hot filling up (to cool faster).
• Add cheese, parsley and eggs to meat filling and combine thoroughly to blend. Taste filling and adjust seasoning to suit your taste.
• In a 15 x 10 inch pan (or large pan), layer half the phyllo sheets, brushing each one generously with olive oil (use a pastry brush), before adding the next sheet of pastry.
• Pour the meat filling into the phyllo-lined pan.
• Layer the remaining phyllo sheets in the same way, over the filling, brushing each one generously with olive oil before adding the next sheet of pastry. When you reach the last sheet (the top one), brush this one slightly more generously than the rest, tuck in any overhang you have neatly into the pie and score pie, lengthwise, into 4, using the tip of a small, sharp knife and making sure you don't cut all the way through the bottom of the pastry (just the top crust and slightly into the filling).
• Position baking rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 190°C (375°F).
• Bring your pan next to the sink and run the cold water tap. Wet the tips of your fingers and shake the water onto the pastry. Do this a few times to ensure droplets of water fall all over the pastry (this ensures a crisp crust upon baking).
• Bake pie for approximately one hour, until you achieve a deep golden crust. If you have a flat-bottomed oven (no element), do put your pan on the floor of the oven for the last 20 minutes or so to ensure an even crisper bottom crust.
• The pita is best slightly warm or at room temperature.
• Enjoy!