Salty from the sea, our feet bejewelled with black volcanic sand, it was was a given during that high summer in Santorini that we would seek respite from the shimmering heat of the beach from midday onwards. A nearby taverna became our favourite. We never ventured inside. Instead we sat on little blue chairs shaded under boughs of olives and lemon trees, sipping a long cool beer and feasting on little squares of salty kremidopita, an onion-filled filo pie originating from Mykonos which satisfied that particular hunger only experienced after swimming. There we would lounge until 3pm every day before venturing onto the beach once again only to remain there until sundown and the promise of a long supper with friends, our bodies glowing with the warmth of the sun.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 tbsp Kalamata olive oil, plus extra for brushing
20g salted butter
6 medium white or brown onions, thinly sliced
Bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced
Generous pinch chilli flakes
1 tsp smoked paprika or 1 tbsp sumac
200g barrel-aged feta cheese
250g Greek anari cheese (you can also use good quality ricotta but make sure to drain it first)
2 large free range eggs, beaten
1 lemon, zested
25g fresh dill, finely chopped
25g fresh parsley, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp dried mint
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to your taste
250g filo pastry (I used very fine baklava pastry here as that’s what I had in the freezer)
Nigella seeds

How I make it

Heat up a large frying pan, add the olive oil, a knob of the butter and a generous pinch of sea salt. Turn down the heat and sauté the onions and chilli flakes until lightly caramelised, around 30 minutes. Add the spring onions and cook for a further five minutes. Stir in the paprika or sumac and set aside to cool.

Heat an oven to 180C.

Place the cooled onion mixture in a large bowl and crumble in the feta and anari cheese. Add the eggs, the lemon zest and the herbs. Mix everything together and season to your taste (I still err towards salty).

To make the pie, evenly arrange the filo sheets over a 20cm non-stick quiche tin with a removable base brushing each layer with olive oil, making sure that you cover the bottom and leave plenty hanging over the edge of the tray. 

Tip the onion and feta mixture onto the pastry and spread the filling to the edges using a fork. Gently roll the overhanging layers over the top, brushing each layer with olive oil as you go. Brush the top of the pie with more olive oil and sprinkle the nigella seeds over the top.

Bake the pie for around 25 minutes until the pastry turns golden and the top feels firm. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes before serving – it should never be served piping hot.

Serve with a classic Greek salad, some tzatziki and, as shown here, a bowl of spicy amba sauce.