Phyllo pie with bacon & butternut/ Filopastei met spek & botterskorsie

A pie is the ultimate comfort food. This one has a few twists to the usual combination of ingredients, but it’s absolutely delicious and perfect for a family supper or special meal. Remember that bacon can be quite salty, but the rest of the seasonings are all fresh and natural and the bacon balance well with the sweetness of the butternut and earthiness of the fresh sage. There is not a lot of sour cream in the recipe, but just enough to make it creamy and moreish. Enjoy this pie with a big green salad – that’s all you need!
Remember that the amount of phyllo needed will depend on the size of your oven dish. Although many people are hesitant to work with phyllo it is really not difficult, just follow the instructions in the method and the tips below. Don’t worry about the phyllo tearing or not being perfect, in this recipe you won’t notice it once it is baked.
’n Pastei is pure koesterkos en die weergawe is regtig besonders. Die spek in die resep is so lekker met die botterskorsie en vars salie. Al wat jy nog op die tafel nodig het, is ’n kraakvars groenslaai!
Phyllo pie with bacon & butternut (Eng)
Serves 4 – 6
Filling
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive or avocado oil
250 g shoulder bacon, excess fat removed and cut in cubes
4 leeks, sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
750 g butternut, peeled and cut in cubes
125 ml (½ cup) white wine or Rooibos tea
30 ml (2 tbsp) cake flour mixed with water to make a paste
250 ml (1 cup) milk
80 ml (⅓ cup) sour cream
60 ml (¼ cup) chopped fresh sage
lemon juice, salt and pepper
Phyllo
4-6 sheets phyllo pastry
30 ml (2 tbsp) olive or avocado oil
- Filling: Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry bacon until golden brown and cooked, but not crispy. Spoon out and drain on paper towel, if necessary.
- Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan and sauté leeks and garlic until soft. Add butternut and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the wine or tea and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minues or until the butternut is cooked.
- Whisk the flour paste into the milk and stir this mixture into the veggies in the pan. Stir well and simmer for a few minutes or until thickened. Stir in sour cream and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Stir bacon and sage into the filling mixture and season to taste. Spoon into a 1,5-2 litre oven dish.
- Phyllo: Brush one sheet of phyllo on one side with oil and place a second sheet on top. Brush the top with oil and repeat with remaining phyllo. Remember to cover phyllo that hasn’t been brushed with oil yet, with a clean dish towel. This prevents it form from drying out.
- Cut each double layer of phyllo, lengthwise in 4 thick strips and crumple up into a bundle. Place bundles close together on top of filling.
- Bake 20-30 minutes or until the filling is warm and the phyllo is golden brown. Serve with a salad.
Filopastei met spek & botterskorsie (Afrik)
Resep aangepas Maak vyf/Make five
Lewer 4 – 6 porsies
Bestanddele
Vulsel
15 ml (1 e) olyfolie
250 g spek, oortollige vet verwyder en in blokkies gesny
4 preie, in skywe gesny
1 knoffelhuisie, gekneus
750 g botterskorsie, geskil en in blokkies gesny
125 ml (½ k) witwyn of sterk Rooibostee
30 ml (2 e) koekmeel, met water tot ’n pasta gemeng
250 ml (1 k) melk
80 ml (⅓ k) suurroom
60 ml (¼ k) gekapte vars salie
suurlemoensap, sout en peper na smaak
Filo
4-6 velle fillodeeg
30 ml (2 e) olyfolie
Metode
- Vulsel: Verhit helfte van die olie oor matige hitte in ’n braaipan en braai die spek tot goudbruin en gaar. Skep uit en dreineer op kombuispapier, indien nodig.
- Verhit die orige olie in dieselfde pan en soteer die preie en knoffel tot sag. Voeg die botterskorsie by en soteer vir ’n paar minute. Roer die wyn of tee by en sit die deksel op. Verlaag die hitte en prut vir 10 minute of tot die botterskorsie net gaar is, maar nie pap nie.
- Klits die meelpasta by die melk en roer die mengsel by die groente in die pan. Roer goed deur en laat ’n paar minute prut tot dit verdik. Roer die suurroom by en prut nog 5 minute.
- Voorverhit intussen die oond tot 180 °C. Roer die spek en salie by die vulsel en geur na smaak. Skep dit in ’n 1,5-2 liter oondbak.
- Filo: Verf een vel filo aan die een kant met van die olie en plaas ’n tweede vel bo-op. Verf dit ook met olie. Herhaal met die res van die filodeegvelle om nog twee dubbele stelle te skep. Maak tussendeur die ongeverfde filodeegvelle met ’n skoon afdroogdoek toe sodat dit nie uitdroog nie.
- Sny elke dubbellaagfilo in die lengte in 4 breë repe en frommel liggies op. Plaas teen mekaar bo-op die vulsel.
- Bak vir 20-30 minute of tot die vulsel warm en die kors goudbruin is. Sit dadelik met ’n slaai voor.
Wenk
- Filodeeg word in 2 rolle verpak, met min of meer 6-7 velle elk. Ontdooi net dit wat jy nodig het. Filo wat ontdooi het, moet binne 2-3 dae gebruik word. Hou laasgenoemde in die plastiek en in die yskas.
Image by Adel Ferreira Photography.