Spanakopita

Two rules for phyllo: cover and work fast. As soon as you open the package, unroll the sheets and lay a very slightly damp kitchen towel directly on top — phyllo exposed to air dries to crumbling brittleness in under two minutes. Work with one sheet at a time, replacing the damp towel over the rest immediately. Tears are normal and not a problem — multiple layers will cover any imperfections. Brush oil generously on each sheet before placing the next: the oil creates both the flakiness and the crisp. If a sheet tears badly, patch it with a piece from the pile and continue.

All from the spinach. Fresh spinach is mostly water, and frozen spinach, even after thawing, retains significant moisture. After cooking or thawing, the spinach must be squeezed until it feels almost dry. Take a handful and wring it as hard as you can over the sink — repeat until no more liquid comes out. A second cause is assembling the pie too far ahead and leaving it unbaked — the filling continues to release moisture into the phyllo over time. If assembling ahead, refrigerate or freeze the unbaked pie rather than leaving it at room temperature.

Both work. Olive oil is traditional — it gives a crisp, slightly less rich result with a faint fruitiness, and it is used in authentic Greek recipes. Butter gives a richer flavour and a slightly deeper golden colour. Many home cooks use butter because the flavour is more familiar and forgiving. For the most authentic result, use good-quality Greek extra virgin olive oil. For a richer flavour and slightly more impressive visual result, use clarified butter or regular melted butter. Both produce excellent spanakopita; this is a personal choice.

Both work, with different handling. Fresh spinach gives marginally better flavour and texture: wilt in a hot dry pan in batches, cool, then squeeze thoroughly dry. Frozen spinach is more convenient and already broken down: thaw completely, then squeeze out all moisture — often more effectively than fresh because the freezing has already broken down the cell walls. The critical variable is not fresh versus frozen but whether it is dry enough before going into the filling. Wet spinach from either source will ruin the pastry regardless of everything else.

Both are traditional in different contexts. The pie (pita) format — filling layered in a baking dish between sheets of phyllo — is the traditional home-cooking version, made in one large pan and cut into squares or diamonds. It is the version made for family meals and celebrations. Triangles (trigonika) are the street-food and bakery version: filling wrapped in individual strips of phyllo folded into small triangular parcels. Both are authentic. The pie is easier to make in quantity and slices cleanly when cool; triangles are more portable and each has more crust relative to filling, which many people prefer.