Types of pitas and phyllo vary from region to region. In fact, the phyllo section of a Greek supermarket is as large as the ice cream section of ours with the multitude of regional phyllo varieties! Today, I am featuring Skafiani hortopita. This phyllo is meant to be thin and fried instead of baked. Traditionally, it is filled with fresh soft cheese (Mizithra) which is much like ricotta and topped with honey, but in spring they also make marathopita (fennel frond pita) or hortopita (fresh greens pita). However, the beauty of making pita is being creative in filling them with whatever you’d like! Below is the recipe for Sfakiani phyllo and the spring greens filling I made as a special last Wednesday. Mine came out well, but the phyllo was not as thin as it should have been and I really don’t think it can compare to the original Sfakianopita found in Sfakia and the Chania region of Crete.
Crete has it all–mountains, gorges, beaches, lovely Venetian towns, bronze age Minoan cities, classical Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman sites, fabulous food, villages and it’s own very distinct music, dancing, culture and color. It is the biggest island in Greece–I have been three times, a total of 30 days approximately and I have only seen a fraction. During the summer, the northern part of the island–with the picturesque towns of Venetian influence: the capital, Herakleion, Rethymno and Chania to the west, Sitia and Agios Nikolaos to the east and lovely beaches situated all along in between– is easily accessible with great roads, thus causing it to be quite touristy and crowded. Crete has a large permanent population and major universities in Herakleion and Chania, so whenever one visits, it is always lively –and in my opinion, the best time to visit northern Crete is anytime but summer. Here is a lovely video of Crete
However, southern Crete is completely different. There is no coastal road connecting villages in the south (except for a small section of south eastern Crete) because there are so many mountains and gorges in the center of the island that building a straight road from town to town is impossible and one must go through the mountains in the north to get to the next town in the south. Thus in summer, southern Crete is very much off the beaten track and perfect for those who want to enjoy swimming, hiking, delicious food and beautiful and quiet destinations at extremely reasonable prices. There is a ferry connecting the south western towns, so one does not need to drive up and down mountains to get from one place to the other. And (Ta) Sfakia or Hora Sfakion–where this recipe originates, is probably the most famous town in Southern Crete. It is well know for its fierce population (towards invaders–not tourists!). Sfakia and the Mani region of the Peloponnese are two regions that were never completely occupied because the inhabitants fought so viciously that it wasn’t worth the trouble. In fact, there is speculation that the name derives from the verb, sfazo –to slay. Of course, nowadays they are only slaying fresh fish and perhaps wild boar in the winter! Here is a video of Sfakia in the summer
Below is a the lovely town of Loutro, which is accessible only on foot or by sea. There is summer ferry service between the villages of Paleochora, Sougia, Agia Roumeli, Loutro and Hora Sfakion as well as to the island of Gavdos.
RECIPE: Sfanikiani Hortopita (Vegan Greens Pita)
Sfakiani Phyllo dough:
1 cup of water
1/2 cup EVGE EVOO
1 shot glass (50ml) raki (Greek Grappa) OR ouzo OR lemon juice OR wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups flour
Mix wet ingredients and then salt and flour. Knead (either by hand or mixer with dough hook) until it is a smooth dough–cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
Fresh greens filling:
2 bunches of fresh green onions (leeks or any type of onion can be substituted)
1lb spinach
1lb mixed spring greens (I use baby spring mix, but if you know how to gather them yourself that is better!)
1tsp salt
EVGE EVOO
Sauté the onion in EVOO until soft. Add salt and greens and cook until soft. Put in strainer (and keep the broth to use in a soup or risotto).
Making the pita:
Take an orange size piece of the phyllo dough and roll it out to be as thin as possible. Put at least a table spoon of filling and fold like an envelope OR any shape you’d like. Fry in EVOO until golden brown.
Kali Orexi!!
