This beautiful and light leek pie was a recipe that I received from a dear friend many years ago. There was never an exact recipe but through the years I made some modifications to make it more consistent. There are many Greek and Albanian versions of this pie but they are very similar. The crust can be homemade or you can use store-bought phyllo sheets. Making homemade phyllo dough is fun but it takes hours so for this recipe I used the store-bought version to make it faster and easier for those who have never made their own phyllo dough. Here’s how to make it:
This recipe makes a huge pie and the pan I use is a perforated air-filled pizza pan that is 16 inches in diameter. This recipe can be cut in half if desired.
Start, by preparing all of your ingredients before opening the phyllo dough as it dries out quickly. Chop 2 large leeks (green and white parts) into 1/2 inch pieces. Place the chopped leeks into a large bowl of water and swish around to remove any sand. Place the leeks in a pressure cooker with a cup of water and cook on 15 lbs. of pressure for about 8 minutes. When done, drain, cool, and squeeze out all of the water by hand or in a clean kitchen towel. *Note, if you do not have a pressure cooker, cook the leeks in just enough water to cover over medium heat until very tender then drain, cool, and squeeze out all the water.
To a large bowl add two 24 oz. containers of cottage cheese, 3 goose eggs or 6 large eggs, the cooked and squeezed dry leeks, 1 tsp. sea salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix thoroughly with a whisk and set aside.
Next, melt 3 sticks of butter in a small sauce pan, and allow
Now, open up the thawed phyllo sheets and working quickly, gently layer one sheet at a time and brush each sheet gently and lightly with melted butter. Allow the sheets to slightly overlap the edge of the pan. The box generally contains 18 sheets, use half for the bottom and half for the top making sure to
Working quickly, keep overlapping the sheets all over the pan and brushing with butter until half the sheets are used (about 9). Once half of the sheets have been buttered and layered, pour the filling into the middle of the pan and gently spread the filling evenly about an inch from the edge of the pan.
Now, repeat layering the remaining sheets over the top of the filling making sure to lightly butter each sheet. It’s ok if some tear, just keep layering. Once all the layers are on, roll up the edges and keep turning the pan until all the edges are rolled up. Brush the whole outside and the rolled-up edges, yes, with more butter. Slice two slits into the top of the pie and place it on the lowest rack in a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes. I place some foil under the pan so the butter doesn’t drip and smoke on the bottom of the oven. After 15 minutes, lower the heat to 375 degrees, and continue baking for another 45-60 minutes until a deep golden brown. Check the bottom to make sure it’s brown and not soggy, if not browned, bake longer until the bottom and the top are a deep golden brown.
When pie is done, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes for easier slicing.
Pie is best re-heated in a toaster oven, regular oven, or Nuwave Oven for best results and flakey crust. Enjoy and happy cooking!
Prep time: 1 hour plus time to completely defrost phyllo sheets.
Cooking Time: 1 hour for the pie plus time to cook the leeks
Difficulty: moderate
Servings: 8-10
Ingredients: This recipe can be cut in half.
1 package phyllo sheets, defrosted about 18 sheets (do not open until all ingredients have been prepped in advance because dough dries out quickly)
2 Large Leeks (about 2 cups chopped & cooked)
2 24 oz. containers cottage cheese
3 sticks plus 2 tablespoons of melted butter
3 goose eggs or 6 regular large eggs
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Cooking spray for the pan