Photo: Allrecipes

Batsaria: How to Make the Epirus Spinach Pie Without Phyllo

by · Greek City Times

Batsaria is an Epirus spinach and feta pie that swaps phyllo for a soft batter crust.

Photo: Allrecipes

What is batsaria?

Batsaria, also spelled blatsaria, comes from the mountain villages of north-western Epirus, especially Zagori and the area around Ioannina.

Village cooks there built their pies around whatever the hills offered. Wild greens, leeks, herbs and sheep’s milk cheese went into the filling. A simple batter took the place of hand-rolled pastry.

Traditionally, that batter uses cornmeal. The official Visit Greece guide describes it as a hearty pie of cornmeal and seasonal greens. Our look at the food of Epirus also lists batsaria among the region’s signature dishes.

Read more: Greek Green Bean Salad With Feta and Tomatoes: A Fresh Summer Side

This version, shared on Allrecipes by a home cook named Gracey, uses plain flour and semolina instead. Even so, it keeps the soft base and golden top that set a phyllo-free pie apart from spanakopita.

Ingredients for one 23 cm pie

The recipe holds 4.1 out of 5 from 13 ratings. It makes nine serves in a deep 23 cm (9-inch) square dish. For the batsaria filling, you need:

  • 3 eggs
  • 450 g (1 pound) fresh spinach, chopped
  • 3 leeks, chopped
  • 5 spring onions, chopped
  • about 350 g (2⅓ US cups) crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 bunch parsley, chopped
  • dill, 1 bunch, chopped
  • 1 bunch spearmint, chopped, for the fresh note in blatsaria
  • white sugar, 1 teaspoon
  • 240 ml (1 US cup) milk
  • 180 ml (¾ US cup) olive oil
  • salt and black pepper, to taste, for the batsaria filling

For the batsaria crust and topping, you need:

  • 315 g (2½ US cups) plain flour
  • 85 g (½ US cup) semolina flour
  • a pinch of salt
  • 60 ml (¼ US cup) olive oil
  • 480 ml (2 US cups) water
  • 125 g (1¼ US cups) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • olive oil, 2 tablespoons, to drizzle over the phyllo-free pie

According to Allrecipes, each serve has about 650 calories and 20 g protein. It also carries 45 g carbs, 4 g fibre and 44 g fat. Because the pie is rich, a small square goes a long way.

How to bake batsaria

Batsaria takes about 50 minutes to prepare and an hour to bake. In total, allow close to two hours.

  1. First, heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease a deep 23 cm square baking dish.
  2. Then beat the eggs in a large bowl.
  3. Stir in the spinach, leeks, spring onions, feta, parsley, dill, spearmint, sugar, milk and 180 ml of olive oil.
  4. Season the filling with salt and pepper, then set it aside.
  5. In another bowl, whisk the plain flour, semolina and a pinch of salt.
  6. Next, stir in 60 ml of olive oil and the water until no lumps remain.
  7. Pour two-thirds of the batter into the dish and spread it evenly for the batsaria base.
  8. Spoon the filling over the batter, then cover it with the rest of the batter.
  9. Scatter the Parmesan and butter over the top, and drizzle with the last 2 tablespoons of oil.
  10. Finally, bake the batsaria for about 1 hour, until the base feels firm and the top turns golden brown.

Let the pie rest for at least 15 minutes before you slice it. That short rest helps the filling settle, so each square holds its shape.

Tips from home cooks

Nana gave the blatsaria five stars and said it tasted even better on the second day. She added: “And the crust fuses nicely with the other ingredients.”

Lydland, by comparison, called it “a terrific make-ahead dinner for a crowd.” She also found it easier than a spinach and phyllo pie.

However, several cooks found the filling too wet. To avoid that, squeeze the washed spinach hard in a clean tea towel and think about cutting back the milk. Two reviewers left it out entirely and still loved the result.

One self-described spanakopita fan made it because pastry did not agree with her husband. She simply declared the phyllo-free pie a winner.

Also, taste your feta first. A mild cheese may need extra salt, while a sharp sheep’s milk feta needs very little. One reviewer loved the hint of mint, although her family did not. Trim the spearmint if your table prefers it mild.

Serving a phyllo-free pie

Serve batsaria warm or at room temperature, with plain yoghurt or a simple green salad on the side. In Epirus, it often comes with xinogalo, a tangy soured milk.

For the mountain pies that inspired this one, read our culinary journey through Zagori. Alternatively, for another village favourite, try our zucchini and feta pie.

Would you rather roll your own pastry? Our guide to paper-thin homemade pastry walks you through it.

The full batsaria recipe, with reviews from home cooks, is on the original Allrecipes page.

Source: Allrecipes

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