RECIPE BY CHRISTINE CAPENDALE
STYLING AND PHOTOGRAPH BY HEIN VAN TONDER
Boursin, feta, leek and almond filo pies
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 150g leeks, sliced
- salt, to taste
- 150g Boursin cream cheese (find at woolworths.co.za)
- 100g feta, crumbled
- 40ml fresh cream/40g plain yoghurt
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 sheets store-bought filo pastry, defrosted
- 80g salted butter, melted
- 40g almond flakes
- store-bought micro-leaf salad, to serve
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease 4 holes of a 6-hole jumbo muffin tin. Set aside until needed.
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until soft, about 3 – 4 minutes. Season with the salt to taste. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Place the Boursin cream cheese, feta, fresh cream/plain yoghurt, chives, garlic and a pinch of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the warm leeks and mix until well combined.
Brush a sheet of filo pastry with some of the melted butter. Cut the sheet into 9 squares (each measuring 12cm). Repeat with the remaining three sheets of filo pastry.
Line the 4 greased holes of the prepared muffin tin with the buttered filo squares, alternating the angle at which you layer the squares to create ruffled edges. Use 8 squares of filo per stack.
Divide the filling among the lined holes of the muffin tin. Top each pie with 1 of the remaining filo squares by scrunching it and tucking it over the filling. Crimp the edges together to seal each pie. Brush with the remaining butter and top with the almond flakes.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Once baked, switch off the oven and leave the pies to rest for about 5 minutes before taking out.
Serve the pies warm, with the micro-leaf salad alongside.