Greek meat pie with puff pastry is a hearty and aromatic dish that is perfect for a family dinner. It is made from accessible ingredients, and thanks to the juicy filling and crispy pastry, the dish is delicious both hot and cold.
To prepare, you will need 500 g of unleavened puff pastry, 400–450 g of minced meat, 2–3 tomatoes, about 50 g of cheese, one onion, dried basil, one egg for glazing, sesame seeds, salt, black ground pepper, and a little vegetable oil.
First, finely chop the onion and sauté it in a pan with a small amount of vegetable oil until soft. Then add the minced meat and cook, stirring, until the excess liquid evaporates. Season the filling with salt and pepper.
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, peel them, and cut them into small pieces. Add them to the meat along with the dried basil and simmer on low heat for about 5–7 minutes. If desired, you can use canned tomatoes or frozen tomatoes.
Grate the cheese. Any variety that melts well will do. For a richer flavor, you can combine several types of cheese, such as hard cheese and feta.
Thaw the puff pastry at room temperature and slightly roll out one sheet. Place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Evenly distribute the meat filling on top and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Cover the filling with the second rolled-out sheet of pastry and seal the edges tightly. Make several holes in the surface with a fork, then brush the pie with lightly beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake the pie in a preheated oven at 200 °C for about 25–30 minutes, until the surface turns golden. Before serving, let the pie cool slightly — this will make it easier to cut into portions.
