How to make filo tarts with spinach, black olives and feta

Christmas is a marathon, not a sprint. Of course, there’s the December lead-up with untold mince pies and mulled wine.

But it’s the day itself that makes cooking and eating an Olympic sport.

Pace yourself and focus on the prep to keep entertaining stress-free.

These filo tarts are an easy winner. You can make the filling and even the custard the night before.

Hold off on the filo pastry until the last thing so it doesn’t dry out and crack.

Lots of melted butter brushed on, keeps the filo malleable and easy to work with.

Once in the oven, the filo will start to brown – simply tent with aluminium foil or place a large baking sheet in a rack above the muffin tin to keep the pastry from burning.

Serve the individual tarts with smoked salmon, a green salad or sliced fruit.

Breakfast is done and dusted and everyone is fortified until Christmas lunch makes its way to the table.

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Makes 12 individual tarts

175ml whole milk
175ml double cream
2 whole eggs + 1 yolk, beaten
300g frozen chopped spinach, thawed
40g pitted black olives, chopped
60g feta cheese, crumbled
1½tbsp chopped dill
3 sheets filo pastry, each one 480 x 255mm
50g unsalted butter, melted 
Black pepper and salt
12-cup muffin tin

Preheat oven to 175C.

Brush the muffin cups with some of the melted butter. Combine the milk, cream and eggs in a bowl or jug, add a generous grating of black pepper and a sprinkle of salt, and set aside. Squeeze out all the moisture from the thawed spinach and place in a second bowl with the chopped black olives, crumbled feta cheese, chopped dill and some black pepper.

Stack the filo sheets one on top of another, take a sharp knife, and slice in half, lengthways. Slice each half into quarters so you have 24 rectangles in total. Work with a few rectangles at a time and cover the others with a tea towel so they don’t dry out.

Brush a rectangle with butter and then gently press it into a muffin cup, butter side up.

Repeat, adding another rectangle so that each cup contains two filo rectangles. Divide the spinach, black olive and feta mixture evenly between the cups. Ladle over the egg, milk and cream mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the centre is cooked through. If the filo starts to brown, tent with aluminium foil or place a large baking sheet in the rack above. Remove the tin from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes then remove the tarts and serve.

@juliapleonard