spanakopita Salad

tiny touch of smugness washed over both our faces

This Spanakópita Salad is having a moment in the sunshine here in my home. Here is the story behind it. My recent visit to Cape Town inspired my version of this deliciously simple Spanakópita Salad. Sarah booked a table at Kiki’s in Seapoint. We arrived 5 minutes late for our first- seating booking and were greeted by our gracious hostess who looked like she had just flown in from a recent holiday in Greece. Sarah announced our arrival, waiting eagerly to be taken to our table. Our hostess looked at us quizzically and enquired about where we had made the booking as we appeared to have vanished from their system. Sarah confidently opened the Dineplan app and turned her phone to our hostess to show her our reservation, emboldened by the fact that she had proof of the reservation on the app. A tiny touch of smugness washed over both our faces as we watched our hostess gracefully search the app for the confusion we all appeared to be experiencing.

The tiny touch of smugness evaporated as fast as it appeared and all our confidence along with it

“Oh dear!” she said, your booking is for next week. The tiny touch of smugness evaporated as fast as it appeared and all our confidence along with it, as we stood in the doorway wondering if we would be turned away. She smiled at us and scanned her screen. “Let me see what I can do” she said. And there, magically she had dissolved our defenses in that one simple sentence. Even if we didn’t get a table that night, I would still go back to Kiki’s based on how our hostess tried to accommodate us. Luckily for us there was a table available so we weren’t turned away, but it was how she handled our mistake that made all the difference. Customer Service 101!!! Thank you for making us feel welcome.

We were shown a cosy table for two and I was delighted with the choice. Our waiter arrived with the most amazing complimentary rustic bread, huge green olives and herb oil. The pita bread with the taramá arrived and I have never tasted such light pita bread before, nothing like the store bought variety. It tasted like it came out of a greek yia-yia’s kitchen. Every table in the house was filled. The vibe was relaxing, with a flow of energy and confidence that kept me feeling comfortable and attended to, without that annoying interruption waiters so often do right in the middle of your conversation. We ordered Thorne & Daughters Copper Pot pinot noir. I was here with my daughter and I loved the name. It was deliciously complimentary to our dolmades, saláta spanakópita and kalamári. If I stayed in Cape Town, this restaurant would become a regular visit for me, but I don’t so when I arrived back home I decided to try and recreate the spanakópita salad.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed making it here at home. If you love spinach, like I do, check out these spinach recipes

spanakopita Salad

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 125 g phyllo pastry
• Olive oil to brush on phyllo pastry
• 4 hands full of baby spinach
• 1-2 rounds feta cheese crumbled
• ½ small baby red onion thinly sliced and steeped in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes
• 1 spring onion finely chopped
• 2 tsp fresh dill chopped
• 2 tbls walnuts, dry roasted and chopped chopped

Dill oil

• 125 ml olive oil -light delicate intensity
• 10 g fresh dill
• 1-3 tsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Make the dill oil
• In a blender with a blade attachment add 125 ml of olive oil and 10 g of fresh dill add salt and 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly
  125 ml olive oil -light delicate intensity, 10 g fresh dill, 1-3 tsp apple cider vinegar
• Pour into a squeeze bottle and reserve for later.
• Prepare the filo pastry
• Preheat oven to 180°C
• Cut phyllo pastry sheets into eight rectangles per sheet repeat with the remaining sheets
  125 g phyllo pastry, Olive oil to brush on phyllo pastry
• Place the rectangles on a baking tray brush with olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown and crispy for about 2 to 3 minutes
• Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container until ready to use – note you will have more than you need for two people
• Assembling the salad – serves two
• On a platter, drizzle some dill oil on the base and add four sheets of crispy phyllo
• Top the phyllo with half the baby spinach and half the feta
  4 hands full of baby spinach, 1-2 rounds feta cheese crumbled
• Sprinkle half the walnuts, onion and spring onion and drizzle with more dill oil.
  1 spring onion finely chopped, 2 tbls walnuts, dry roasted and chopped chopped, ½ small baby red onion thinly sliced and steeped in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes
• Season with salt and pepper and repeat the process with another layer
• Finish off with phyllo pastry and sprigs of fresh dill, extra walnuts and drizzle with more dill oil.
  2 tsp fresh dill chopped, Salt to taste

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Greek inspired

Keyword: Feta, Spinach, walnuts