This is the year "It's Greek to me" becomes the happy answer to what's for dinner. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the upcoming epic Troy, the 2004 Summer Olympics returning to Athens--and now, yet another reason to embrace all things Greek: The Olive and the Caper, Susanna Hoffman's 700-plus-page serendipity of recipes and adventure.In Corfu, Ms. Hoffman and a taverna owner cook shrimp fresh from the trap--and for us she offers the boldly-flavored Shrimp with Fennel, Green Olives, Red Onion, and White...
Olives grow so well in Greece's household gardens that their name simply means "green.” Every housewife knows exactly when the upright leaves have stretched tall enough to indicate that the white of the leek is thick and ready. With a handful of fat ones, she can make Prassopita, the cheapest of pies and one of the best.
Two unusual touches bring a leek pie to new heights: potato, such a good companion to any sort of onion, and olives, whose ebony dots add a salty accent. While black olives have a better color contrast, green olives offer more astringency: The choice is yours. An extra layer of filo in the center graces the soft filling with satisfying crispness.
Makes one 13x9-inch pie
Serves 12 as an appetizer
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 medium leeks (1 1/2 pounds total), white and light green parts well rinsed, drained, and chopped
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 medium potatoes (10 ounces), peeled and coarsely grated
3 tablespoons chopped Kalamata or other good black or green Greek olives
1/3 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
12 to 15 sheets commercial filo dough, or 6 to 9 sheets homemade*
Olive oil or melted butter, for oiling the filo
2 to 3 tablespoons milk, or 1 egg yolk beaten with 1/2 tablespoon water (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish or equivalent round pan.
Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a nonreactive skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute until they are well wilted but still bright green, 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
While the leeks are cooling, lightly beat the egg together with the 1 tablespoon milk.
Place the potatoes, olives, cheese, dill, salt, and cayenne in a mixing bowl. Add the leeks and the egg mixture and stir together.
Cut the filo sheets to size**. Oil and layer one third of the filo in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add half the filling, spreading it out evenly. Oil and layer another one third of the sheets over the filling. Spread the remaining filling evenly over the filo. Oil and layer the remaining sheets of filo on top. Oil the top of the pie. Tuck the filo in around the edges, and score to make 12 pieces. Brush the top and around the edges with the milk or the egg wash, if using.
Place the dish in the oven and bake until the top and the edges are golden and crisp, 1 1/2 hours. Serve right away, or at room temperature.
NOTES: *You can also make the pie with simply a top and bottom crust and one layer of filling.
**Cut the filo sheets to the size you need before assembling the pie, remembering that dough shrinks a bit while baking. Cut the sheets for the bottom crust just slightly larger than the pan’s dimensions. For the top crust, cut the sheets to pan size.
TWO ANCIENTS AND THE LEEK Aristotle claimed that the clear cry of the partridge could be attributed to its diet of leeks. When Herodotus was scribing an account of his country’s war with Egypt, he asked for a translation of the heiroglyphs of the great pyramid at Cheops. It said sixteen hundred silver talents had been spent on radishes, leeks, onions, and garlic for the workers. Since Greek eating habits were similar to the Egyptians’, and onions were not even considered true food at the time, he queried how much their actual vittles, clothing, and tools had cost.
