Malathropita — Chios Fennel Pie
A rustic island savory pie of fresh fennel fronds in a simple olive oil batter — skillet-fried and golden
<p>Malathropita is the kind of recipe that almost got lost — a simple, peasant dish made with what the garden offered, requiring no special skills and no special ingredients beyond fresh fennel fronds and a handful of flour. It belongs to the long tradition of Greek <em>hortopites</em> (wild green pies) that use whatever grows in the hills as the filling.</p><p>On Chios, where fennel grows abundantly in the rocky terrain around the mastic villages, this was everyday food — pressed into small flat cakes and fried in olive oil, eaten warm as a light lunch or a meze alongside a glass of ouzo. It is not glamorous, but it is honest and delicious, and it transports you immediately to the island.</p><p>Use the feathery fronds of the fennel bulb, not the bulb itself — their flavour is more delicate and herbal. Wild fennel is even better if you can find it.</p>
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh fennel fronds, roughly chopped (from about 2 fennel bulbs)
- 1 small onion, very finely chopped
- 1 cup plain flour
- 175ml water, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus more for frying
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Wash and thoroughly dry the fennel fronds. Chop them roughly — not too fine, you want some texture.
- Combine the flour, water, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix to a thick batter — it should be scoopable but hold its shape. Add a little more water if needed.
- Fold in the chopped onion and fennel fronds. The mixture will be thick and rough — this is correct. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a heavy skillet or frying pan over medium heat. The oil should shimmer but not smoke.
- Working in batches, spoon or scoop the mixture into the pan and flatten gently with the back of a spoon into small round cakes about 8cm across and 1cm thick.
- Fry without moving for 4 to 5 minutes until a deep golden crust forms on the bottom. Flip carefully and fry the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Serve warm, as a meze or light lunch, with a wedge of lemon and a glass of ouzo.
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