Puff pastry is one of the most versatile pastries; it can easily be adapted to a sweet or savory recipe.
Originating in France, where it is called pate feuilletee, puff pastry was invented in 1645 by Chef Claudius Gele. Gele wanted to create something new for his sick father, who was on a diet of flour and butter. Using these simple ingredients, which can seem rather bland at first, Gele produced a result that surprised him — kneading the dough, folding it multiple times and baking it, he had created puff pastry.
Hundreds of years later, puff pastry is a time-tested favorite that can be paired with cheese, chocolate, fruits, vegetables and meat.
The recipe we are presenting here today is a savory one that is simple to make: spinach and feta puff pies. For the filling, you will need 250g of spinach, 200g of feta cheese, one small onion, one clove of garlic, the juice of half a lemon, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, salt and pepper. The puff pastry can be store-bought.
Slice the onion and fry it in some oil. Once the onion is soft, add the chopped garlic, followed by the spinach until it is reduced in volume and dries up. Then add salt, pepper and lemon juice to the mix.
Leave the mixture to cool down. Once completely cooled, add the feta cheese and mix thoroughly. Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into large squares. Place a tablespoon or so of the filling in the center of the square and fold the puff pastry over it so it becomes triangular. To seal the puff pies, press the edges with a fork, pinching the puff pastry together.
Beat an egg and brush it over the pies to get the shine on top. Sprinkle the pies with sesame seeds. Place them in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes or until the pies puff up and get a beautiful golden color on top.
