MKR Recipes Episode 4: Maria and Bailey’s Spanakopita Ravioli with Feta Crème, Crispy Leeks and Dill Oil

Ingredients

½ leek, thinly sliced (white part)

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

Dill oil

½ cup dill leaves

125ml light olive oil

Pasta

160g 00 flour

1 tsp salt

1 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

Feta creme

150g feta

150ml thickened cream

Pinch ground nutmeg

Filling

1 tbs olive oil

1 small eschallot, finely chopped

½ leek, finely chopped (pale green part)

100g baby spinach, finely chopped

150g feta, crumbled

Method

1. To make the dill oil, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add herbs and cook for 20 seconds. Drain and transfer to an ice bath for 2 minutes. Remove from ice bath and squeeze out excess water. Transfer herbs to a small blender with the oil and pinch of salt. Blend for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into a muslin-lined sieve set over a bowl. Set aside for 1 hour to drain. Transfer oil to a bottle. Discard solids.
2. To make pasta, pulse flour and salt to combine in a processor to combine. Add eggs and yolks. Process to form a crumbly dough. Sift flour and salt onto a clean work bench. Make a well in the centre. Add eggs and whisk lightly. Gradually incorporate flour into centre, adding a little water if necessary, to form a soft pliable dough. Dough is correct consistency if your thumb comes back clean when pushed into it.
3. Knead dough on a lightly floured bench for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic (it will lose it’s rough, floury texture). Stand, covered, for 20 minutes to rest.
4. Meanwhile, to make feta crème, place the feta, cream and nutmeg in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until hot. Transfer to a tall heatproof cup. Use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Strain into a siphon gun. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold. Charge siphon gun with cartridges and shake vigorously (to evenly distribute gas) when ready to dispense.
5. To make filling, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook eschallot and leek until soft. Stir in spinach until wilted and combine. Season. Transfer to a bowl. Cool slightly. Fold in feta.
6. Divide rested pasta dough into quarters. Pass quarters through a pasta machine on the widest setting, dusting dough with flour between rolls, increasing settings until about 2mm thick.
7. Divide filling into four portions. Place portions at 2cm intervals along half the pasta sheets. Lightly brush around filling with a little water. Top with remaining pasta sheets and press gently around filling to remove any air and seal the ravioli. Cut out ravioli rounds using a 10cm round cutter. Transfer to a lightly floured tray.
8. To prepare crispy leek, place sliced leek in a single layer on paper towel. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside for 5 mins. Pat dry with paper towel. Deep fry in small batches until golden and crisp.
9. Cook raviolo in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water for 2-3 mins or until tender. Drain.
10. Place raviolo on serving plates. Top with feta crème and crispy leeks. Drizzle with dill oil.

Tip - This dish makes four 10cm raviolo, which could serve four people as a small entrée or 2 people as a larger entrée.