Surrey Homes | SH97 | February 2023 | Education Supplement inside

Mix & Match
Jo Arnell gets creative with pie fillings for a
satisfying February feast Photographs: David Merewether
In the days before tupperware,
pastry was just a convenient
and portable container – a
way of keeping the food inside
protected until you were ready
to eat it. It’s comforting to know
that the outer casing is now just as
edible as the filling – and comfort
is, after all, a by-word for pie. And
a pie does not have to be pastry
based – potato, or even whipped
cream, make great pie toppings.
The main thing is to keep things
simple – as easy as pie…
Squash, Caramelised
Onion and Feta Filo Pie
Prep time: 40 mins Cooking
time: 25-30 mins Serves 6
You will need a spring-form
tin and a pastry brush
Filo pastry is tricky to handle as
it dries out as soon as you look
away from it, so have a damp
tea towel/kichen roll handy to
cover it if needed – and ensure
that all the other ingredients are
prepped and ready to assemble
before you open the packet.
• 200g ready-made filo pastry
(at room temperature)
• 1 butternut squash, peeled
and cut into chunks
• 5 red onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic (or
red wine) vinegar
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 200g feta cheese (or
vegan version)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp chilli flakes (ie not much)
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 50g pine nuts (optional)
1. Peel and chunk the butternut
squash (approx 1-2cm cubes). Tip
into a baking tray and coat with 1
tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle
with oregano and bake in the
oven (180°C) for 20-30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile slice the onion
thinly and slowly caramelise in a
frying pan – basically fry gently for
as long as it takes for the onions
to cook right down, adding the
vinegar and sugar about halfway
through this process. Cut the feta
cheese into rough cubes and then,
once the onion and squash have
cooled a little, assemble the pie.
3. Line a loose bottomed tin (I
used a 23cm diameter springform
tin) with greaseproof paper.
Melt the butter and keep ready
in a bowl. Then fold 2 sheets of
the filo pastry into the bottom
of the tin, brushing each side all
over with melted butter. Place
further buttered layers into the
tin, allowing the excess pastry
to loosely overhang the sides.
4. Working quickly, add the filling,
alternating squash, onion and
feta cheese, dotted with a little
chilli and approx 1 teaspoon of
rosemary, until you reach the top
of the tin. Fold the overhanging
filo back over the filling, decorate
with the rest of the rosemary and
pine nuts, and bake in the oven
for approx 25 minutes, until the
pastry is golden. Serve warm
(or cold) with a green salad.
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