Albania is surrounded by Greece, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Macedonia.
All of which, I’m pretty sure, have a variation of a spinach pie.
Something I have blogged about before.
I never did write down the ingredients to that pie, but this one blasts it out of the Adriatic Sea.
In Albania, they make what is called Byrek mi Spinaq(or Spinach Pie).
I’ve seen recipes that call for sour cream, or heavy cream, but didn’t use one of those.
We kept it pretty simple.
While we were cooking, we snacked on Jessica’s husband’s beer bread.
He grows his own hops, brews his own beer, and is getting quite good at it.
I’ve decided that eating beer bread, or bourbon sauce, or whiskey BBQ is okay with me.
It was a decision that took some thought, actually.. But here I am.
We started by mixing the filling.
A bowl of chopped spinach, crumbled feta, whisked eggs, salt and pepper.
There should be green onion in there, but forgot it.
We greased the pan with olive oil, then layered sheets of the phyllo dough in the pan, and brushed each with melted butter.
Then added the spinach mixture.
When dealing with phyllo, it’s best to have a damp rag to lay over it, so it doesn’t dry out when you’re not using it.
We layered the remaining sheets over the top, then folded the edges over like a pizza..? I guess?
We buttered the shit out of it.
We baked the pie for 40 minutes at 375. Or until golden brown.
The arugula salad we made added a bright, and peppery flavor to the plate.
A perfect addition to the creamy sour of the feta, and sweetness of the buttered phyllo.
SO. GOOD.
(a word to the wise.. make sure to let the pie rest before cutting into it. it might be a little watery, but not bad)
Algeria is up next..
We talked about needing actual books over internet information.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK I’M READING OUT THERE.
But what I have read has me excite.
RECIPES.
Byrek
1lb chopped fresh baby spinach
8oz feta cheese
2 eggs
1 package phyllo dough
Salt and pepper to taste
1 stick of butter
Lemon Vinaigrette
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic vinegar
Toss with arugula.
