Manitaropita Grevenon (Μανιταρόπιτα Γρεβενών)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •wide heavy frying pan or saute pan, 30cm
• •round metal tapsi, 32cm, or rectangular baking dish, 33 by 23cm
• •pastry brush
• •fine sieve for porcini soaking liquid

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the porcini

   If using dried porcini, cover them with the boiling water and leave them for 15 minutes. Lift them out, squeeze them dry, and chop them finely. Strain the soaking liquid and keep 2 tablespoons for the filling; save the rest for soup or beans. This pie wants the forest note, not extra water.

   If you have good fresh wild mushrooms from Grevena, you can skip the dried porcini. Λίγα και καλά, a few things, and good ones.
2. 2

   Brown the mushrooms

   Set your widest pan over medium-high heat and add 45ml of the olive oil. Cook the fresh mushrooms in 2 or 3 batches, salting each batch lightly only after it begins to color. Add the chopped porcini in the last minute. The mushrooms are ready when the pan is dry, the edges are browned, and the smell has turned deep and nutty. This is the step that saves the phyllo.

   Crowd the pan and the mushrooms stew in their own water. Give them room, or do it in batches and be patient.
3. 3

   Cook the leeks

   Lower the heat to medium. Add 30ml olive oil to the same pan, then add the leeks, onion, spring onions, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until sweet and soft but not browned. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute. Return the mushrooms to the pan, add the 2 tablespoons strained porcini liquid if using, and cook until the mixture is dry again. Spread it on a tray and cool for 15 minutes.

4. 4

   Mix the filling

   Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Fold in the cooled mushroom mixture, Anevato, trahana or breadcrumbs, parsley, dill, black pepper, and the remaining salt only as needed. Anevato can be salty, so taste before you obey the salt spoon. The filling should be moist and spoonable, but no liquid should gather at the bottom of the bowl.

5. 5

   Layer the phyllo

   Heat the oven to 190C. Oil a 32cm round tapsi, or a 33 by 23cm baking dish. Lay in half the phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with olive oil and letting the edges climb the sides of the pan. If your pack has 6 thick country sheets, use 3 below and 3 above. If it has more, use half below and half above.

   Keep the phyllo you are not using under a barely damp towel. Dry phyllo cracks before it reaches the pan.
6. 6

   Fill and score

   Spread the mushroom filling evenly over the bottom phyllo. Fold the overhanging edges inward, then cover with the remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each one with olive oil. Tuck the edges down into the pan. Brush the top with the last olive oil and score the pie into 8 or 10 pieces before it goes into the oven, cutting through the top layers but not dragging through the filling.

7. 7

   Bake and rest

   Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is deep gold and the bottom feels crisp when you lift a corner with a spatula. Let the pie rest for at least 25 minutes before cutting through the scored lines. Serve warm or at room temperature. A good manitaropita should cut cleanly, with a dark mushroom filling and phyllo that crackles under the knife.

Chef Tips

• •Use the best mushrooms you can find. Fresh porcini from Grevena would be the feast day answer, but oyster, brown cremini, shiitake, and a few dried porcini make a good home version. The right mushroom matters more than a clever hand.
• •Do not rinse mushrooms unless they are gritty. Brush them or wipe them quickly. If you must rinse, dry them hard on towels before they touch the pan, because water is the enemy of this pie.
• •If you cannot find Anevato, mix 180g feta with 70g thick strained yogurt. It will make a good mushroom pie, but it will not be quite Grevena's pie. We tell the truth and cook well anyway.
• •Manitaropita holds beautifully. Serve it with cabbage salad, olives, and a glass of dry white wine or tsipouro. It is dinner, not a side dish wearing phyllo.

Advance Preparation

• •Thaw frozen phyllo overnight in the refrigerator, still wrapped, so it opens without cracking.
• •Cook the mushroom and leek filling up to 24 hours ahead, cool it, and refrigerate it. Add the eggs, Anevato, herbs, and trahana just before assembling.
• •Assemble the pie up to 4 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Bake from chilled, adding 5 to 10 minutes if needed.
• •Baked manitaropita keeps at room temperature for 4 hours and reheats well at 170C for 12 to 15 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 195g)