Albanian Vegetable Pie (Byrek Shqipëtar me Perime)
Byrek is the everyday savory pie of Albanian kitchens, and this spinach version shows why it can carry a whole meal. Thin filo layers, each brushed with olive oil, bake into a crisp shell around a filling of spinach, salty feta, green onions and egg. Albanian cooks often serve it hot with buttermilk or thinned yogurt, a sharp, cool contrast to the rich pastry.
Instructions
Brush a medium baking pan with some of the oil. Lay two filo leaves in the pan, brush or sprinkle them with oil, then add two more and keep going until half of the leaves are used. Let the leaves hang about one inch over the edges of the pan.
Put the chopped spinach in a bowl, sprinkle it with part of the salt, and mix well by hand. Add the feta, oil, green onions, eggs and the remaining salt, and mix again.
Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the filo in the pan. Cover it with the remaining leaves, layering them in pairs and oiling between each pair as you did for the base.
Fold the overhanging edges of the bottom leaves up and over the top of the pie, much like the crust of a pizza. Sprinkle the top with oil.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 45 minutes, until the pie is golden brown. Serve hot, with buttermilk, thinned beaten yogurt or chilled stewed prunes, and a green salad if you like.
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