Agginaropita (Greek Artichoke Pie)

This month’s Tried & Tested is featuring Kevin of Closet Cooking. This event was an original idea by Zlamushka of Spicy Kitchen. Each month a blogger is featured and we have to choose one of his/her recipes and recreate it and blog about it. This month’s host, is Hema of Salt 2 Taste.

Kevin makes delicious recipes.  Take a look at his blog and you will find lots of delicious recipes from around the world:  Canada, America, Greece, Italy, Vietnam, Thailand, China, India etc.  You will have no problem finding one to recreate.

I took a look at Kevin’s Greek recipes and I saw Agginaropita, which is an Artichoke-cheese pie, which he had made from Maria’s blog.  I’ve been wanting to make this pie for a long time as I love artichokes, so I knew what I wanted to make as soon as I saw this recipe.

I rarely copy recipes, except when it’s something unknown to me and I want to see how the original version is.  I usually work with what ingredients everyone eats and that is what I have at home but since this event was about trying and testing, I planned the recipe in advance and have not changed anything to Kevin’s recipe except for adjusting the ingredients to a larger quantity.   Needless to say that we loved the pie and enjoyed it very much.  You can find Kevin’s recipe here.

I used frozen artichokes and had some more leftover, so a few days later I made it again but this time instead of making the pie with ready made phyllo, I preferred to make my own phyllo and made individual pies.   In Greece we have another pie called Prassopita, which is a leek pie.  Although, I have made that one last year, I haven’t posted it yet, as well so many others waiting patiently to be posted.   I wanted to make a combination of prassopita with some artichokes and instead of adding feta, I added xynomyzithra and some blue cheese.  Since these two pies are connected and similar in ingredients, I am posting my version as well.

Prassopita me agginares (Leekand Artichoke Galette), Recipe by Ivy

Makes:  6

Ingredients

For the pastry dough :

3 cups bread flour
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup olive oil
½ cup tepid water
1 tsp salt
2 eggs

For the filling:

3 tablespoons olive oil
6 leeks (one white part), finely chopped
6 artichokes, quartered
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 cup white wine
350 grams xynomyzithra
100 grams blue cheese
1 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 cup dill, finely chopped


3 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 egg, for brushing

Directions

Prepare the dough, see detailed instructions here.


Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 180°C.   Line the baking tin with parchment paper.


Wash all the vegetables.  Cut the green end of the leeks.


Heat the olive oil in a sautéing pan and sauté the leeks. Add the onion and the artichokes as well as the salt and sauté until translucent.
Add the wine, cover the sautéing pan and cook for ten minutes, or until the wine has been absorbed.
Remove from the heat and leave it for about 30 minutes to cool.
Meanwhile, chop the parsley and dill, crumble the cheeses with a fork and add the eggs and pepper and mix well.
Add this to the leeks and mix well.
Divide the dough into six equal parts and roll out each pie into a disc about 20 cm., diameter.
Spread 1/6 of the leek mixture over dough, leaving a border on all sides. Fold the border in over filling. Brush folded edge with the egg and sprinkle the sesame and poppy seeds on top.
Bake galette until crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
Cut each galette into 4 pieces and serve warm as an appetizer.

Other Relevant Recipes:

Kolokythopita me Myzithra (Savory Pumpkin Pie)

Kotopita me Prassa (Chicken and Leek Pie)

Tyropita me Maratho and Watermelon Salad

Beef or Pork Galette?

Homemade Spanakopita from scratch

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