Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

550g spinach
115g butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp each of mace and salt

For the Pastry:
225g flour
90g softened butter
2 egg yolks
6 threads saffron ground into 1 tbsp water in a pestle and mortar

Method:

Bring a pan of unsalted water to the boil add the spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse under cold water before wringing the spinach dry. Heat the butter in a frying pan, add the spices and fry the spinach in this for 2–3 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool.

To make the pastry for the pie crust sift the flour into a bowl, add the saffron threads and their steeping water along with the egg yolks and mix together well. First add 3/4 of the softened butter and mix in well. If all the flour does not come together into a dough add a little more butter. Once the dough comes into a ball cut it into two pieces (one slightly larger than the other). Roll the larger piece of dough out and use this to line a 22cm pie dish. Cut off the excess pastry around the edge and fill the middle of the pie with the spinach mixture. Next roll the smaller piece of pastry out and use this to place on top of the pie. Use the back of a fork to crimp the upper and lower pieces of pastry together then pierce the top pastry a few times to allow steam to escape as the pie cooks.

Cook in an oven pre-heated to 180°C for about 40 minutes or until the upper crust has just turned a golden colour. Brush the top surface of the pie with a mixture of sugar, molten butter and cinnamon. Serve.

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