Spinach & feta puff pastry rolls

Whether it’s borëk, spanakopita or some other spin on it, I absolutely ADORE the combination of spinach, feta and pastry. It’s one of my all-time favourite things to eat IN THE WORLD.

As you may have noticed from the other recipes on my blog, I don’t usually have the patience for making anything long and complicated, so I decided to create a really easy spinach & feta pastry number using ready-rolled puff pastry and only a handful of filling ingredients.

What takes this recipe to the next level is the topping – it’s inspired by the spinach & feta rolls at Gail’s Bakery, which are made extra-delicious by the sprinkling of fennel seeds on top. I’ve done a riff on this and finished these simple little pastries with a mix of fennel and sesame seeds, chilli and sea salt.

Makes 12

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 35 mins

½ small onion or a couple of shallots, as finely chopped as possible
olive oil (and butter, optional)
200g spinach
100g feta
2 medium eggs (one for the mix, one for the egg wash)
1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry
chilli flakes or cayenne pepper (optional but makes it better)
dried oregano (optional but makes it better)
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp sesame seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds

1. Preheat oven to 220c/200c fan and line two flat baking trays with greaseproof paper (or just one and cook them in batches but they probably won’t quite all fit on a standard sized baking tray at once).
   
   
2. Heat the spinach in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat until its wilted (around 5 mins). Then tip it into a large colander and leave it in the sink to cool.
   
   
3. Wipe the pan dry and put back on the heat, on a medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil and a chunk of butter, then the finely chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Fry for around 10 mins, until soft.
   
   
4. By the time your onions are halfway through frying, your spinach should be cool enough to handle, so go to the sink and give the spinach a real good squeeze to get all the water out (this is very important – spinach retains loads of moisture and will make your rolls v soggy if you don’t wring it out).
   
   
5. Once your spinach is looking drier, put it into the pan with the onions and turn off the heat. Crumble in the feta cheese, add a pinch each of oregano and chilli flakes if using, plus salt and pepper and one beaten egg. Stir until combined.
   
   
6. In a pestle & mortar, crush the fennel seeds then add the chilli flakes, sesame seeds and a large pinch of salt and mix together. Set aside.
   
   
7. Lay out your pastry sheet so that the short side is at the top and cut it down the middle (pics below for clarity). Spoon the mixture down the middle of each strip of pastry then fold the pastry over to seal the mixture in. Using a fork, crimp round the edge to seal.
   
   
8. You should be left with two long, thin pastry logs. With a sharp knife, cut each log into about 6 pieces then lay them onto the lined baking trays. Brush each piece with beaten egg, then sprinkle with a couple of pinches of the salt/seed/chilli mix. Bake for 20 mins, until golden.

Filling the mix

Sealing and crimping the rolls before cutting

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