Sochan in Phyllo Dough

by Ellen Zachos

Sochan in Phyllo Dough
Serves 8

• 1 box of phyllo dough
• 4 cups tender sochan leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup chopped onions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dry, crumbled bee balm or oregano
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Olive oil spray
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350°F, and use olive oil spray to coat the bottom of an 11×17-inch baking pan. Set this aside. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and sauté the onions until they are tender and translucent. Add the greens and cook until they wilt, then remove them from the heat and let the greens cool. Once the greens are at room temperature, add the bee balm, feta, yogurt, and beaten eggs, and combine thoroughly. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, then taste and adjust as needed. Set the greens mixture aside.

Open the plastic wrap surrounding the phyllo and unroll the dough. Cut the stack of phyllo layers to make it fit your baking pan. Work quickly with the phyllo so it doesn’t dry out. If interrupted, cover the phyllo with a damp dish towel to keep the dough moist and prevent cracking. Place one piece of phyllo in the bottom of the pan. Spray the phyllo with olive oil, and lay another piece on top of the first. Repeat until you have four layers of phyllo. Take half of the greens mixture and spread it evenly across the phyllo. Place a layer of phyllo on top of the greens and spray it. Add three more layers of phyllo, spraying each layer. Spread the remainder of the greens on top of the phyllo, and again, add four layers of phyllo, spraying each layer with oil. Use a sharp knife to score the top layer of phyllo into rectangles. Scoring the raw phyllo makes for neater cutting later on. If you wait until after you’ve cooked the phyllo, the dough will crack when cut. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top layer of phyllo is golden brown and crispy. Remove the phyllo from the oven and let it cool slightly, then cut and serve.