Antigoni’s Korfopita – Greek Marrow-Shoot and Flower Fillo Pie Recipe

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and vinegar and rub it into the flour – it will have the texture of oily, clumpy flour.

Add one cup of warm water and combine it with the flour mixture. At this stage there will be unincorporated flour.Add about 1/8 cup of water at a time to the bowl and mix it in well. Once all the flour is incorporated (or you hear a slight squelchy sound) stop adding water. I usually use about 1 ¼ cups to 11/3 cups of water in total.

Turn your dough onto your work surface and knead it for 1-2 minutes (no need to knead any longer!). It will look a little ragged, lumpy and uneven in texture and colour – that is okay!

Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a clean damp towel (wet the towel completely and wring it out) and leave it to rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour (2 hours is better and3-4 hours is even better).

Combine the plain flour with the cornflour well. This ‘flour - corn flour’ mixture is used to dust the fillo whenever it gets a little tacky, as you are rolling it out. Whatever you don’t use, store it away for the next time you make pita.

Pull off and discard the bases of the flowers entirely and then chop the flowers coarsely

Cut and discard the coarse stalks from the marrow shoots, remove and discard any fibrous strings from the stalks

Gather the prepped marrow shoots in small bunches and chop them coarsely

Wash the chopped flowers and marrow shoots three times!

Squeeze the excess water from the flowers and shoots

Place the shoots and flowers in a large bowl and add 2 teaspoons of salt

Gently macerate the shoots and flowers for 1 minute

In another bowl, add the diced brown onions and 1 – 2 teaspoons salt and massage into onions for a minute or so as well

Add the onions to the bowl with the shoots and flowers

Add the polenta, EVOO and eggsto the bowl with the shoots, flowers and onions and mix thoroughly

Set aside

After the dough has rested, knead it for 1 minute and then divide it into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on your clean work surface and cover them with the same damp towel.

Take a large pinch of the dusting flour and place it in the centre of your work area.

Take one of the balls of dough and roll it into an even, rounded sphere between the palms of your hands.Flatten the sphere between the palms of your hands, so it forms a small, round disc. Place the disc on the dusting flour on your work surface. Turn the discover so both sides are coated well with the dusting flour. Using the rolling pin, roll out the disc one way and then the other, so it forms a larger disc of approximately 15-20cm in diameter.

Wrap the fillo tightly around the centre of the rolling pin, leaving a small section of the disc hanging out.Then, starting with both hands in the middle of the rolling pin, press down lightly on the fillo while simultaneously moving your hands away from each other. You can use your fingers or the palms of your hands to lightly and evenly press down on the fillo as you move your hands away from each other.Repeat this action of gently pressing down while moving your hands towards the outer edges of the fillo 2-3 times.

Raise the rolling pin into the air, rotate it 90 degrees clockwise or anticlockwise and then lower it and unravel the fillo sheet onto your work surface.

Wrap your fillo sheet snuggly onto the rolling pin, remembering to leave a small section hanging out.

Again, starting with both hands in the middle of the rolling pin, press the fillo lightly with your fingers or palms, while moving your hands away from each other – repeating this pressing/outward-moving action 2-3 times.

Continue to perform the last two actions until your fillo sheet is about 60cm in diameter.

If/when the fillo becomes tacky as you roll it out, dust it liberally with some of the dusting flour (do not hold back).

You continue to do this until your fillo is about 50-60cm in diameter.

Generously oil the base of a medium-large rectangular pan and drape the fillo sheet across the pan and over the edges of the pan - drizzle the sheet with EVOO.

Roll out a second fillo sheet.The 2nd sheet is placed completely inside the pan and drizzled withEVOO.

The 3^rd fillo sheet drapes outside the pan and is drizzled with EVOO.

The 4^th fillo sheet is placed completely inside the pan.

Add 2/3 of the korfopita filling to the pan.

The 5^th fillo sheet is placed completely inside the pan.

Add the remaining filling to the pan.

Fold in the overhanging edgesof the 3^rd fillo sheet and drizzle these with EVOO.

The 6^th, 7^th fillo and 8^th sheets are placed completely inside the pan and drizzled withEVOO.

Fold in the overhanging edges of the 1st fillo sheet.

Drizzle the top of the korfopita with EVOO and sprinkle some water on top too - very gently massage the oily-water into all the nooks and crannies.

Bake at 180°C fan-forced for 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours, until the top and base of the korfopita are deep, golden-brown.

Allow the korfopita to cool for30 minutes or so before serving with a salad for a ‘simple’ meal, or as a side to your main meal or as part of a grazing buffet.

Kali Orexi!