Little meat pies (kreatopites) with honeymoon tomatoes
Georgina Hayden’s Greek meat pies are made with buttery filo pastry layers and two types of mince. Serve with a fresh tomato and anchovy salad.
Ingredients
For the kreatopites
- olive oil
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú butter
- 500g/1lb 2oz mince (beef and lamb are traditional, but some people add pork)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 leeks, trimmed, finely sliced and washed well
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 15g/½oz fresh flatleaf parsley, stalks and leaves finely chopped
- 400ml/14fl oz beef stock
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú filo pastry
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressed tomatoes
- 600g/1lb 5oz tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ bunch fresh Greek or regular basil, leaves picked (larger leaves torn)
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled and sliced
- 8 anchovy fillets in oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil and 25g of the butter. Add the mince, season generously with salt and pepper and fry for 5–8 minutes until the meat is starting to brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go.
When the meat starts to colour, reduce the heat and add the onion, garlic and leek. Fry gently for 5 minutes, then add the cinnamon, coriander and most of the crushed cumin seeds. Fry for a few more minutes, then stir through the tomato purée, sugar and parsley. Fry for 1 minute, stirring everything well, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat a little and leave it to gently simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the mince has a little moisture but most of the liquid has evaporated. Turn off the heat and leave to cool completely.
When you're ready to roll, preheat the oven to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 6½. Melt the remaining butter and brush a little over a large flat baking tray or roasting tin.
Lay a sheet of filo on your work surface, the longer side facing you. Brush the filo with a little butter and top with a second sheet. Spoon a long line of the mince mixture along the bottom. Working from the bottom, roll it up, then shape it into a coil. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients so you have four pies.
Brush the pies all over with the remaining butter and sprinkle with a good pinch of sea salt and the remaining cumin seeds. Bake for about 30 minutes until deep golden all over. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.
While the pies are cooling, make the tomatoes. Toss the tomatoes with ½ teaspoon sea salt and leave in a colander in the sink. Allow to drain while you get the dressing ready, stirring every few minutes to encourage excess moisture to be drawn out.
Combine the garlic, onion, red wine vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside for 5 minutes, then whisk in the extra virgin olive oil.
To serve, pat the tomatoes dry with kitchen paper and place in a large serving or mixing bowl with the dressing and torn basil. Add the avocado slices, tear in the anchovies, gently toss everything together and serve alongside the pies.