Ingredients 2 sheets puff pastry (800g), or 2 thick homemade pie pastry sheets 1 kg potatoes 1 kg early-season zucchini (tender, in season, without many seeds) 3 tbsp fresh finely chopped spearmint 500 gr pichtogalo Chanion (soft Cretan cheese from Chania) or xinomyzithra (Cretan sour whey cheese) 500 gr fresh anthotyro (mild Greek whey cheese), crumbled 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup olive oil 1 cup strained Greek yogurt 2 large eggs FOR THE TOP OF THE PIE A little olive oil 2 tbsp sesame seeds TAGS PIES ZUCCHINI MAIN COURSES GREEK CRETE TRADITIONAL FOODS WHAT TO COOK TODAY Ingredients 2 sheets puff pastry (800g), or 2 thick homemade pie pastry sheets 1 kg potatoes 1 kg early-season zucchini (tender, in season, without many seeds) 3 tbsp fresh finely chopped spearmint 500 gr pichtogalo Chanion (soft Cretan cheese from Chania) or xinomyzithra (Cretan sour whey cheese) 500 gr fresh anthotyro (mild Greek whey cheese), crumbled 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup olive oil 1 cup strained Greek yogurt 2 large eggs FOR THE TOP OF THE PIE A little olive oil 2 tbsp sesame seeds Instructions For the traditional Chania boureki, use a large ovenproof dish or a large rectangular baking pan, 40 cm (16 inches). Peel the potatoes, wash them, and slice them into very thin, almost translucent rounds, by hand or on a mandoline. Place them in a bowl. Wash the zucchini, trim off the ends, and slice into very thin rounds. Place them in a bowl. Season the potatoes and zucchini with salt and pepper. Brush the pan with olive oil and lay down one sheet of chilled puff pastry. Make sure the pastry covers the sides of the pan, so the filling stays enclosed. Since puff pastry is elastic, stretch it slightly to cover the sides. Arrange half of the potatoes and sprinkle with a little flour. Arrange half of the zucchini and sprinkle with a little flour. Next, spread over half of the pichtogalo and half of the anthotyro. Repeat the layers once more with the remaining ingredients, as before: potato, flour, zucchini, flour, cheeses. In a bowl, whisk the olive oil with the eggs, the yogurt, the remaining flour, and the spearmint. Season the batter with salt and pepper and pour it over the boureki. Cover with the second cold sheet of puff pastry and pinch the edges so the two sheets seal together. With a sharp knife, score the surface of the pastry so the steam can escape. Brush the surface with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake the Chania boureki in a well-preheated oven at 220°C (425°F) conventional, on the lowest rack, or at 200°C (400°F) fan, on the middle rack. After the first 10 minutes of baking, lower to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C (325°F) respectively, and continue baking until the surface is well browned and the pie releases from the base of the pan. Total baking time 1 hour. Serve the boureki warm or at room temperature. Tips The high oven temperature at the start of baking quickly gives the puff pastry volume and separates its many layers. As a result, once baking is complete, the pastry comes out crisp and fluffy. TAGS PIES ZUCCHINI MAIN COURSES GREEK CRETE TRADITIONAL FOODS WHAT TO COOK TODAY
