Pastry:
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup lard or cold butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vinegar
Filling:
1 package (1 lb/500 g) spinach
2 T butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 tsp each pepper and dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup 5 or 6% cream
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 cup crumbled feta ( I always like more)
8 thin slices cappacola or prosciutto
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In large bowl, whisk flour with salt, using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter and lard until mixture resembles fine crumbs with a few larger pieces. In glass measure, whisk egg yolk with vinegar; add enough ice water to make 1/3 cup. Drizzle over dry ingerdients, stirring briskly with fork until pastry clumps together. Press into disc. Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling).
On floured surface, roll out pastry to scant 1/4-inch thickness. Fit into 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge to 1-inch overhang; fold under rim and flute. Prick all over fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line pie shell with foil; fill with pie weights or fired beans. Bake in bottom third of oven for 400F oven until rim is light golden, about 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil; let cool on rack.
Filling: Meanwhile, discard any stems from spinach. Rinse spinach; shake off excess water. In large Dutch oven, cover and cook spinach, with just the water clinging to leaves (this is called panning), over medium heat until wilted, about 6 minutes. Drain in a sieve, let cool. Squeeze out liquid; chop. In large skillet, melt butter over medium heat, fry onion, red pepper, pepper, thyme, garlic and salt, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, cook, stirring, until spinach is dry, about 4 minutes. Let cool slightly. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and cream; add spinach mixture.
Sprinkle pastry shell with feta cheese, pour in egg mixture. Arrange 2 pieces of cappacola on each of the 8 servings. Sprinkle remaining feta between cappocola. Bake in centre of 375F oven until knife inserted in centre comes out clean, 40 - 45 minutes. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes.
Serves 8
Photo was taken in Gibson's on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia.
