Spring Herb Pie from Corfu

Greece Is | March 30th, 2026

Greece IsCorfuTaste

A traditional savory Corfiot pie filled with wild spring greens and fresh herbs, made according to a recipe passed down through generations.

Chef: Courtesy of Alexia Kassari, Palia Perithia - Alkinoos Taverna

Preparation & Cooking time: Prep time: 1 hr 30 min Cooking time: 1 hr Resting time: 1 hr

Serves: 6

With a recipe handed down from generation to generation, this richly aromatic herb pie we tasted in Corfu is bursting with the flavors of spring. Spinach, chard, nettles and wild poppies come together with milk, which, as Alexia Kassari, who served it to us, explains, gives the filling its light, fluffy texture.

This amazing dish comes from the family-run taverna Palia Perithia – Alkinoos, the oldest eatery still operating in the village of the same name in northeastern Corfu. The establishment first opened as a café in 1863, when Nikolaos Kassaris returned from the United States. A migrant who’d left the country with the first wave of departees, he had run a restaurant in New York before coming back to his homeland, determined to spend his final years there. He also served as mayor of Kassopaioi for four years and as president of the Perithia community for three decades.

His son Alexandros later took over the business, transforming it from a simple café into a multipurpose hub: a grocery store, grill house, butcher shop, and even a slaughterhouse. The centuries-old plane tree in the courtyard, with its thick whitewashed trunk and its sturdy branches from which the carcasses of fresh-slaughtered animals once hung, is a silent witness to the taverna’s long history.

Now in the hands of the fifth Kassaris generation to run it – Diamantina Kassari’s children, Alexia and her brother Alkinoos, who took over in 1997 – the taverna continues an uninterrupted presence spanning 162 years. Alexia prepares all the Corfiot dishes herself, from pastitsada and sofrito to stews, meze dishes and pies, including this fragrant spring herb pie.

Method

Dough

To prepare the spring herb pie, place the flour, olive oil, salt and a little pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until combined.

Gradually add the water and knead using the dough hook until a medium-textured dough forms – smooth, elastic, and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

You might not need to use all the water, or you might need to add a little extra, depending on the consistency of the dough.

Shape the dough into a ball, cover it and let it rest for 1 hour.

Filling

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the greens (excluding the herbs), along with the spring onions, green garlic and leek.

Sauté for about 5 minutes, until their volume reduces. Season with salt, stir, and remove from the heat.

Allow the mixture to cool completely in the pot, then add the chervil, dill, fennel and parsley. Mix well. Sprinkle in the flour and stir again.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until they are thoroughly combined.

Add the mixture to the greens, season with salt and pepper, add the feta, and mix thoroughly.

Pie Assembly

Preheat the oven to 170-180°C (340-355°F). Generously oil a baking pan approximately 35 x 45 cm.

Divide the dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger piece into a thin sheet slightly larger than the pan, so it covers both the base and the sides. Dust with flour as needed to prevent sticking or tearing.

Lay the dough in the pan, allowing the edges to hang over slightly, and brush with olive oil. Spread the filling evenly over the base.

Roll out the second, smaller piece of dough into a sheet the size of the pan and place it over the filling.

Fold and crimp the overhanging edges of the bottom sheet inward to seal.

Brush the top with olive oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and score into medium-sized pieces. Bake for about 1 hour.

Originally published in Greek at gastronomos.gr.

Ingredients

For the Dough

500 g flour (suitable for pie dough), plus extra for rolling
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 level tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
Approximately 250 ml water
2-3 tbsp of sesame seeds

For the Filling

2 kg (weight before cleaning) mixed wild greens (spinach, chard, nettles, poppies), cleaned, washed, drained and finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely chopped
3 green garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 leek, very finely chopped
1 bunch chervil, finely chopped
1 bunch dill, finely chopped
1 bunch fennel fronds, finely chopped
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
100 ml fresh whole milk
100 g feta, crumbled
100 ml olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper