Cretan Marathopites
Cretan Marathopites
This recipe is shared by Fofi @fofimeli from the family of @ladi_biosas.
“Crete has more sunshine than anywhere else in Greece and that alone makes just about everything taste delicious. In the Cretan valleys and mountains Fennel is in abundance and it is a common ingredient in the Cretan cuisine. That is why Cretan Marathopites are the best!” Fofi
Ingredients
For the dough you will need…
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• ½ cup Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 60 ml raki or ouzo
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tap sea salt
• 500 g plain or all-purpose flour
For the filling you will need…
• 150 g fennel greens
• 350 g spinach
• 2 medium red onions
• 3 tbsp Organic EVOO
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp cracked black pepper
• Extra Olive Oil to fry the "Cretan Marathopites"
Instructions
Preparing the dough
o Mix all the wet ingredients with the flour and sea salt
o Knead the dough very well and set it aside in a bowl, covered with a tea towel, to rest for half an hour
Preparing the filling
o Chop all the greens
o Chop the onions as finely as possible
o Toss the greens and onions in a bowl with the EVOO, sea salt and pepper
Preparing the Cretan Marathopites
o Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface
o Divide it into 20 small balls
o Flatten and roll out each dough piece into a thin fillo sheet – you don’t want them to be too thin or too thick
o Follow the same process for all of the pieces (Tip: Use a side plate to make a perfect circle. Lay the plate on your fillo sheet and using a knife, cut around the plate to form the perfect circle)
o For each small Cretan Marathopita you need two fillo circles
o Spread 1/10 of the filling on a fillo circle, leaving a 2 cm gap between the filling and the fillo edge.
o Lay a second fillo circle on top
o Seal the two fillo circles together using either a fork or by twisting and braiding the two fillo circles together with your hands
o Add enough EVOO to a fry pan to shallow fry the Marathopites and heat on medium
o When the oil is hot, transfer a Marathopita to the frypan
o Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden-brown
o Follow the same process for all of the Cretan Marathopites and don't forget to add a little olive oil to your pan each time
Serving the Cretan Marathopites
o Serve the Cretan Marathopites warm or cooled with a Greek Salad
o Kali Orexi!
