Prasopita (Leek Pie)

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and vinegar and rub it into the flour

Slowly add one cup of warm water and completely combine it with the flour mixture, so that it forms a soft, workable dough that doesn’t stick to your hands or the bowl

Depending on the type of flour you use, you may need to add extra water to make the dough soft

Turn the dough onto a kitchen bench and knead it for 1-2 minutes, flouring the bench a little if you need to

Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a damp towel and leave it to rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour

Top and tail the leeks and remove any coarse outer layers

Slice the leeks in half lengthways and then slice each half lengthways again

Coarsely cut the leeks into 4cm segments

Wash the leeks thoroughly to separate out the leek layers and remove any traces of dirt

Allow the leeks to drain

In a large pot, heat 350ml of EVOO on high until it is very hot

Add the leeks and maintain the heat on high

Stir in the cracked black pepper and the salt

Continue to stir and cook the leeks until their colour brightens and much of the water they release has cooked off

Stir through the rice and turn off the heat

Allow the leeks to cool completely before crumbling in the feta and stirring through the beaten eggs

Combine500g of plain flour with 150g of cornflour well. This flour-cornflour mixture is used to dust the fillo whenever it gets a little sticky as you are rolling it out

After the dough has rested, divide it into 8portions and roll each portion into a ball. Return 7 of the balls to the bowl and cover again with a damp cloth

Take the one ball of dough, and shape it with you hands to form a disc

Place it on a floured work surface and, using the fillo rolling pin, roll it out one way and then the other to form around disc approximately 20cm in diameter

Wrap the dough disc fairly tightly around the fillo-pastry rolling pin. Then, starting with both hands in the middle of the fillo-pastry rolling pin, press the fillo lightly while moving your hands away from each other. Repeat this pressing/drawing action 2-3 times

Unravel the fillo sheet and rotate it90 degrees on your work surface

Wrap the fillo onto the rolling pin again

Again, starting with both hands in the middle of the fillo-pastry rolling pin, press the fillo lightly with your fingers or palms, while moving your hands away from each other – repeating this pressing/drawing action 2-3 times

Again, unravel the fillo sheet and rotate it 90 degrees on your work surface

If the fillo becomes sticky, dust it with a little flour-cornflour mixture again

You continue to do this until your fillo is about 60cm in diameter

Generously oil the base of a 38cm diameter round pan or a square pan (40cm x ) and drape the fillo sheet across the pan and over the edge of the pan. Drizzle the sheet with olive oil

Roll out a second fillo sheet. The 2nd sheet is draped completely inside the pan and drizzled with EVOO

The 3rd fillo sheet drapes outside the pan and is drizzled with EVOO

The 4th fillo sheet is draped completely inside the pan

Add 2/3 of the leek filling to the pan

The 5th fillo sheet is draped completely inside the pan

Add the remaining filling to the pan

Fold in the draping parts of the 3rdfillo sheet and put a little filling on these folded areas

The 6th and 7th fillo sheets are draped completely inside the pan and drizzled with EVOO

The 8th fillo sheet is draped completely inside the pan

Fold in the draping parts of the 1st fillo sheet

Drizzle the top of the prasopita withEVOO and sprinkle some water on top too

Bake at 180°C fan-forced for 1 - 1 ¼ hours, until the top and base of the prasopita are golden brown