Traditionally this bread is also made with an assortment of greens (spinach, chard etc,) with which you could substitute part of the leeks. You can also use less feta cheese if you want a lighter, healthier result, as I don’t believe it would greatly affect the final result or the texture of the bread.
INGREDIENTS for a rectangular pyrex dish or roasting tray measuring 30x40cm
• 500g leeks, white and light green part only, finely chopped
• 600g Greek feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup corn meal
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 tsp baking powder
• olive oil, freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat 2-3 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and gently cook the leeks until soft, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 oC.
3. Mix the cornmeal with baking powder
4. Place the water in a large bowl and slowly add the corn meal stirring with a wooden spoon to combine. Then add the leeks, feta cheese and eggs, making sure everything has been well incorporated. Season with pepper.
5. Butter or oil your dish and spread the mix evenly. Bake for about 40 minutes. Take the dish out of the oven and brush the top with some olive oil. Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes (if the top gets too brown, cover with foil).
6. Let the bread come to room temperature before slicing. It can also be made a couple of days in advance as it keeps well in the fridge.
7. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate if keeping it for more than one day.
(recipe adapted from Diana Kochylas’ The Glorious Foods of Greece. I have halved the recipe, but if you are making this for more than 6 people you will need to double it and use a larger dish. Kochylas uses the same sized dish for double the recipe and also almost double the baking time. )
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Plasto: Greek Style Corn Bread With Leeks And Feta Cheese
- by XpatAthens
- Friday, 20 February 2015
Corn breads are very common in Greece, especially in the middle and northern parts where corn was traditionally cultivated. This is a recipe from Roumeli and is a cross between a bread and a pie. It is very easy to make, but the final result is nothing short from perfect. Tender leeks are gently sauteed in olive oil and then mixed with the corn meal, water, eggs and feta cheese to create a wonderful and filling bread. We had it alongside some nice creamy soup, so it is suitable for both an everyday meal as well as any Thanksgiving dinner.