Feta-and-Herb Phyllo Tart Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Flowergarden129

Since you emphasize the importance of using high quality phyllo, how do you identify which of the commercial brands is a good one?

Susan

A video of this folding technique would be very helpful.

Barbara

I wonder if we might have a video of Mr. Ottolenghi making this? The prep is sort of confusing.

Klkruger

No need to press the cheese/herb mix into the tart; simply use a small spoon and fill in all the spaces, repositioning the spiral as needed. I mixed the custard in a 2-cup spouted measuring cup which allowed gentle pouring over the cheese mix avoiding the spiral). Pour lightly. By the time you've gone over the tart one time, the custard will have soaked in wherever you started pouring; repeat pouring gently till all the custard is used.

Jim McGrath

This recipe cries out for a video... It has a lot of technique.

Chef Michael

Great product. However, I found the cooking instructions for the phyllo too hot, too long. Burnt the first round. Dropped the temp to 375 F, about 12 minutes. Also, next time I make this, I will use 6 sheets for the base. Also, 1.5 ounces of Romano doesn't come close to 2 cups shredded. Baked off the custard @ 350 F. End product was greatly appreciated by my client- she asked for it again for Memorial Day week-end.

Riv

This might help in choosing the right brand of Phyllo; it seems there is't one best brand for every recipe.
http://www.saveur.com/article/Techniques/Phyllo-Finds?image=4

Ellen

Thanks for the link! It appears that Kontos brand, number 5 phyllo is best for this type of recipe.

Francesca

It's explained in "The Challenge of Perfect Phyllo," cited above, but that involves opening a box and testing a sheet for springiness. Can anyone tell us some actual good brands?

jaye

This recipe begs for a video demonstrating the construction of the tart shell.

Madi

I made this a week ago and am making it again. Technique is easier second time round and properly thawed phyllo makes a huge difference. I did butter the strips to make them easier to handle. Its a keeper recipe now that I feel it's easier to assemble!

Laura Perry

I used frozen, defrosted in the fridge overnight. It worked perfectly, and the guests loved it.

One quick tip: you can easily "grate" both the cheeses in a mini food processor. Takes just a few seconds and gives you nice, tiny crumbles for slipping between the spirals of phyllo.

Anna

Quite tasty. Made in iron skillet. Took a while to make working with phyllo dough for the first time. I found spreading butter with my hand worked easier than with a brush. The bottom was crispy, I wouldn't add more layers.

emily

I use the organic filo dough from The Filo Factory. it is sold in my local food coop in the freezer section. If I defrost it in the fridge overnight then let come to room temperature for 1-2 hours, it is easy to work with and doesn't shatter/break unless it gets too dry. I keep a damp dish towel/flour sack cloth over top of the filo to keep it from getting too dry but the recipe works pretty fast so I didn't have too much trouble.

J

Made with parsley, mint and dill as I had them to hand. Major hit with everyone.

Margaret

Drawn in by the beautiful photo, I made this yesterday following the recipe closely, upping the melted butter by one tablespoon. It managed to look like the picture but we were disappointed with the taste. The internal folded phyllo fans add no flavor but plenty of dryness. A quiche would have tasted better.

Margaret

Getting ready to make this. The ingredients call for "2 lightly packed cups/50 grams finely grated pecorino Romano (1½ ounces/45 grams)" I measured out my 50 grams and it is just 1/2 cup. HELP!

Kftell

How many eggs?

Beth Ann

It would be good to use a slightly damp tea towel to keep the stack of phyllo dough damp while you are working on the accordion folds and snail/swirl structure. Our tart looked more like a “rustic rose” than a perfect swirl but it was still really pretty.

JLK

The instructions are incomplete. What do you do with the overhang in the shell? Fold it over before first bake? It doesn’t say (so I did). Mostly the steps for the folded filo are very confusing; I’m a very experienced and competent home cook and a huge Ottolenghi fan (own 5 of his cookbooks) and have made tons of tarts in my day but I could not understand the fan fold at all and the filo kept breaking as it was getting dry (finally put on damp towel). I improvised. please explain!

tartanhabit

some of us are visual learners .... please!

Jarrett

Spinach parsley feta and pecorino is the mixYou can make the strips wider/make the tart deeper if you wantAnd don’t forget you’re cute!!

Joan

This was a sensation for New Year's Eve. It was filling enough to feature as a brunch dish with a dark green salad. I anticipated, and rightly used only half the custard ingredients. It was showy, delicious and very popular!

Chuck

I have made this a couple of times and, while challenging, produces a very attractive and tasty tart. One trick that I finally used is putting the mixed cheese/custard into either a pastry bag or a Ziploc. This makes it far easier to pipe the custard in between the phyllo spirals. Enjoy!

Vicki

What size tart pan do you recommend?

Amber R.

Couldn't find phyllo in the supermarket so I used puff pastry instead and it was delicious! I also think the puff pastry made for quicker assembling.

fryfry.me

Tried this today, the custard was too eggy, needs additional milk. Will try again, upping the ratio to be more quiche-esque, i.e. 2 cups liquid to 4 eggs, not 1 1/4 cups as listed.

jmo

This is so great. Have made many times so the construction is easy. It doesn’t matter if it’s perfect. It all cooks up great. Great leftovers too. I use whatever herbs are on hand.

MJ

I used frozen phyllo dough from Trader Joe's. It worked great! The other half of the box I used to make a half sheet pan worth of baklava using the recipe from Melissa Clark. Equally delicious and a great way to not have any leftover phyllo dough!

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Feta-and-Herb Phyllo Tart Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many sheets of phyllo dough should I use? ›

Typically, phyllo dishes should have a finished thickness of 3 to 10 sheets per layer. (A one-pound box of phyllo contains about 20 sheets.) Tip: Phyllo pastries can often be very brittle when baked. We recommend using a serrated knife to cut the finished dish to prevent all of the filling from squishing out.

Can I use olive oil instead of butter on phyllo dough? ›

Brush the baking pan with some olive oil and spread one sheet of phyllo dough in it. Dip a pastry brush into the olive oil and drizzle over the sheet of phyllo dough without letting the brush directly touch the phyllo. Cover with a second sheet of phyllo and drizzle with olive oil.

How do you keep phyllo dough from cracking? ›

COVER WITH PLASTIC AND A DAMP TOWEL To help prevent cracking, phyllo must be kept moist until you're ready to work with it.

How do you keep phyllo pastry from drying out? ›

Keep Phyllo From Drying Out

Once phyllo dries out it cracks and shatters like centuries old parchment. There's nothing you can do to save it. Likewise, soggy phyllo produces a mess of another kind. To keep the sheets from drying out, place a clean, damp (not wet) towel over the stack of phyllo sheets.

How many sheets of phyllo dough in 1 lb? ›

Phyllo for pastries is very thin, used for delicate pastries like baklava, and rolled pastries. Each one-pound box contains approximately 24 sheets.

Do you have to butter each layer of phyllo? ›

Tip #2: Add Butter or Oil for Flaky Phyllo Layers

To get that flaky effect, you need to brush some sort of fat between each layer of dough. Usually I use unsalted butter, which gives the finished product a beautiful golden color.

Why do you put vinegar in phyllo dough? ›

The acidic properties of vinegar inhibit gluten, some will say. This theory proposes that once the water and flour are combined, gluten starts forming, causing the dough to grow tough. Adding an acid, the theory goes, stops the gluten in its tracks and rescues the crust from toughness.

How long does it take to cook filo pastry? ›

Brush a little melted butter around the base, then gather up the outsides and scrunch them together. Brush half the remaining butter over the top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make another filo parcel. Transfer the parcels to the preheated baking tray and bake in the oven for about 25 mins until golden.

Why is my filo pastry not crispy? ›

To achieve a crispy and light texture with phyllo dough, make sure to brush each layer with melted butter or oil. Additionally, avoid overloading the layers with too much filling, as this can contribute to a soggy result. Bake at the recommended temperature, and keep a close eye on it to prevent over-browning.

What country is phyllo from? ›

Filo pastry has a very ancient history, transcending social classes to become an iconic ingredient in the signature dishes of Turkey, Greece and the Middle East.

What do you brush on phyllo dough when layering? ›

In order to get golden, individual layers, you need to brush each layer of phyllo with butter or oil. Use a pastry brush, and remember that each sheet will soak up around 1 Tbsp. of fat, so plan accordingly.

Can I make phyllo the day before? ›

Make ahead. Many phyllo dishes can be assembled and frozen in airtight containers prior to baking. Do not defrost prior to baking. Perfect for savory or sweet recipes, its versatility is the perfect canvas to create mouthwatering creations.

Do you thaw phyllo dough before using? ›

The best way to ensure that your phyllo dough remains whole is to let it thaw before using and unrolling it, and to keep it covered under slightly damp kitchen towels to keep it from drying out at room temperature (via My Greek Dish).

Can phyllo dough stay out overnight? ›

You can store baklava and other phyllo (filo) dough and nut confections at room temperature in air-tight containers for short intervals, perhaps a couple of weeks or less. However for maximum freshness store them in the refrigerator, and even the freezer.

How many sheets in a pack of filo pastry? ›

Description. Frozen uncooked filo pastry 7 sheets. Each approx. 480mm x 255mm).

How do you use filo pastry sheets? ›

How to use filo pastry
  1. Melt the butter.
  2. Unroll the filo pastry pack. ...
  3. Brush each sheet with melted butter and layer up according to the recipe. ...
  4. Use for making samosas, parcels, streusels and lining tart tins.
  5. Try this technique with our favourite filo pastry recipes.

How many sheets of phyllo are in a package of Athens? ›

Athens Fillo Dough Twin Pack - apx 20 sheets per pack.

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