Zucchini pie from Chania, Crete

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 300 g wheat flour type 1050
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 100 g water, lukewarm
• 1 tsp salt or vegetable stock powder
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Flour for the work surface
• 400 g potatoes, mainly waxy
• 800 g zucchini, approx. 25 cm long
• n. B. Salt and pepper, black, freshly ground
• 600 g mild sheep’s cheese (Galomisithra), see note
• 80 g mint leaves
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 liter of water
• 20 g salt
• 10 g citric acid, crystalline or 2 tbsp lemon juice
• e.g. sesame, white

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 2 hours

vegetarian

Combine all the ingredients for the dough and knead into a smooth, firm dough. Wrap in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour. In the meantime, grease a baking dish with olive oil. Combine the ingredients for the brine. Wash the potatoes and slice them crosswise into approximately 3 mm thick slices directly into the brine. Mix thoroughly, strain, and drain well. Don’t discard the brine! Wash the zucchini, trim both ends, and slice them crosswise into approximately 6 mm thick slices. Soak the slices in the brine for 10 minutes, then strain, rinse with fresh water, and drain well. Mix the Misithra cheese with the mint, 6 tablespoons of the olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Flour the work surface. Divide the dough into 2 portions by weight (60% + 40%). First, roll out the larger portion into a sheet about 2 mm thick, so that it can cover the bottom and edges of the baking dish slightly. Place the dough in the baking dish and brush the inside thinly with olive oil. Now arrange the filling ingredients in a single layer in the baking dish. First, sprinkle the potato slices on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then about 150 g of the minted Misithra cheese, then the zucchini slices, and finish the first filling with the minted Misithra cheese. Continue in this way until all the ingredients are used up. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (top/bottom heat). Roll out the second portion of dough to a thickness of about 2 mm, so that the sheet can completely cover the filling. Place it in the baking dish and brush the edges with water. Then fold the edges of the lower sheet over the upper sheet and press down lightly. Brush the top cover with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place the baking dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes until golden brown. After 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 170°C. Serve the finished zucchini pie hot in the baking dish with white bread. Serve with a full-bodied red wine or a cold beer. Note: The citric acid, or alternatively lemon juice, in the brine prevents the potatoes from turning gray, and the brine draws out the bitterness from the zucchini. Cretans prefer bread, especially white bread, as a side dish to all other side dishes. Galomisithra is a soft sheep’s cheese (misithra) produced in the Chania area. It can be substituted with soft misithra (available online), as it is practically unavailable in Germany. Recipe source: Mr. Olympios, Armonia Hotel, Crete.