Ah Greek Food. They do flavours so well. That perfect balance of earthy/charred/hearty with bright/zesty/fresh. Spanakopita is the perfect example – golden, crispy, buttery phyllo, earthy slightly bitter spinach, and then the brightness of dill, feta, and a touch of lemon. This spanakopita inspired risotto with a phyllo crinkle mimics this wonderful balance but in a bowl of risotto perfection!
What inspired this interesting dish? Well, I was set out to make a spinach and mushroom risotto but we didn’t have mushrooms and I really did NOT feel like going to the shops. So, I did a Fridge Exploration (who else tends to always forget what’s in their fridge?) to see what we DID have. My eyes spotted the fresh dill and cue the background heavenly-choir-type music. Spinach and dill. Spinach and dill and feta. Spanakopita. Why not make it into a risotto?
But spanakopita is not spanakopita without that buttery crispy phyllo. Should I add a crispy element to the risotto? The texture contrast would be good. We had phyllo in the freezer that was begging to be used (it may have been there since last year, who knows?). I thought about shards of phyllo, phyllo sticks, and then came across a recently viral Phyllo Crinkle dessert. Somehow watching the scrunched-up phyllo sheets being baked into golden goodness is soothing to watch (note to self, still need to try the viral phyllo crinkle dessert). Yes, a phyllo crinkle. Minus the custard. Cut into squares, reminiscent of a slice of spanakopita. Thus, the spanakopita-risotto-with-phyllo-crinkle was born.
The end result? Sooooo good. The spanakopita flavours work WONDERFULLY in a risotto. And the crispy phyllo is a game-changer for risotto dishes going forward. Who doesn’t love a crunchy element. There is something so satisfying about that phyllo crunch, in particular. Very ASMR.
As an avid foodie, I have spent a lot of time in the kitchen. As a result, I’ve learnt a few subtle tricks to obtain the result that I’m looking for. Some may call it perfectionism, but for me it’s just a way to make really good food. At the end of each recipe post, I will share these useful little nuances for you to peruse or skim over or ignore, no judgement here.
Kyla’s little kitchen tips for perfecting this recipe:
- Make sure the phyllo crinkle isn’t too thick, you want to be able to break it easily with a spoon for easy eating. Try to make crinkle one layer thick (the pastry can be a bit difficult to separate and some patience may be required).
- While we’re on phyllo, it can be quite delicate and frustrating to work with. I find it best to defrost it undisturbed in the box to prevent it from breaking. Either leave it on your kitchen counter for two hours, or pop in the fridge to defrost overnight. Be gentle with it and use it immediately after unwrapping to prevent it from drying out.
- Feta can have a variable “tartness”. For this recipe you want to cook off the tartness without breaking up the feta (I find chunks look better than “dissolved” feta for this recipe). I like to briefly cook off the acidity by submerging the feta in water and popping it in the microwave for a minute or two.
- For an evenly cooked risotto, always keep the stock on a low heat so that it’s warm when adding it to the risotto. This can feel like an unnecessary pot to clean, but it ensures even cooking of the rice grains.
- While we’re on risotto, my general tips for a good risotto are: use good quality stock and cheese; keep the heat low-medium; chop the onion/shallots finely so that they dissolve when cooking and don’t compromise the smooth texture of the risotto; add the stock a bit at a time; don’t skip resting your risotto at the end with a knob of butter for the perfect texture.
- The bright green colour the spinach gives this risotto its “wow” factor. Ensure the spinach is not overcooked or you will end up with a slightly sadder dull-green colour instead. Add the spinach puree right at the end before serving. If you reheat the risotto, it will unfortunately lose its bright emerald hue as well but it will still taste delish.
Spanakopita Risotto with Phyllo Crinkle
Ingredients
Phyllo Crinkle
- 1 roll phyllo pastry 250g
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 1½ cup hard cheese, grated
Spinach Puree
- 200 g baby spinach leaves, rinsed
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp nutmeg, ground
- 6 cups stock (vegetable or chicken) for both the spinach puree and the risotto.
Risotto
- 6 spring onions finely chopped, white and green parts separated
- 3 tbsp butter keep 1 tbsp for the end
- ¼ tsp nutmeg, ground
- 2 cups arborio rice 400g
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup feta cheese, sliced into cubes use a firm, traditional variety
- 1 cup grated hard cheese The Klein River Gruberg works beautifully here.
- 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
- squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
Phyllo Crinkle
- Preheat the oven to 160℃ (320℉).
- Brush the bottom of a baking sheet with butter.
- Taking 2 sheets of phyllo pastry at a time, working on the long end of the phyllo, scrunch the sheets into accordion-style folds, with each fold about 1cm in width. Continue until the baking sheet is covered. Don't worry if the phyllo tears a bit, the phyllo is very forgiving when baked.
- Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the crinkled phyllo. Sprinkle with the grated hard cheese and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Cut into 6 to 8 large squares once cooled.
Spinach Puree
- Decant ½ cup of stock for the spinach puree and set aside. Place the rest in a pot over a low heat for the risotto.
- Prepare an ice bath for the spinach by placing a colander inside a larger pot or bowl filled with ice water. The water should fill at least half the volume of the colander when placed inside.
- Place a medium sized, heavy based pot with a lid (I like to use my Le Creuset dutch oven) over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Place the spinach in the pot and cover. Steam for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until bright green.
- Immediately transfer the spinach into the colander with ice water and let it sit for a few minutes. Lift the colander out of the pot and place over a sink to allow the water to drain.
- Place the spinach in a Nutribullet cup or blender. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup stock to just cover the spinach. Blend until smooth. Season to taste and set aside for later.
Risotto
- The stock from step 1 should be gently simmering. Keep on a low heat for the risotto.
- Place the feta cubes in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with warm water. Place in the microwave for one to two minutes to cook off the acidity.
- Place the same pot used for the spinach (wipe down if necessary) over a medium-low heat. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter and add the spring onion whites and nutmeg. Sauté until translucent.
- Add the arborio rice and stir to coat the grains (add more butter if it's cooked off too much). Toast lightly for a minute or two.
- Deglaze the saucepan with the wine. Stir until all the liquid has absorbed.
- Add the simmering stock one ladle (or ½ a cup) at a time. Stir each ladleful of stock into the risotto and allow all the liquid to absorb whilst stirring occasionally. Continue until the rice is al dente (not all the stock may be necessary).
- Take the risotto off the heat and add the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter and the cheeses. Stir briefly to combine and cover with the lid. Rest for 5-10 minutes.
- After resting, stir to combine the melted butter and cheese (the feta should remain in chunks).
- Add the spinach puree and stir to combine. Add the fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Spoon into serving bowls and top with a square of the phyllo crinkle. Garnish with fresh dill and spring onion greens. Serve immediately.
