Talking about easy, simple and delicious. This three ingredients pie is one of those recipes you want to have at hand for whenever you need a bit of coziness and warmth. Fluffy, crispy and hearty buckwheat phylo is a true step up compared to a white wheat flour one. And sauerkraut and leeks filling, well, it’s just one mouthwatering bite we all need from time to time.
Sauerkraut is one of those foods I have had a love&hate relationship with. You see, I come from a land where this type of preserved cabbage is a big thing. Sort of a must have winter food. And back in the days, you couldn’t just stroll in the supermarket to buy some. Oh, no! It was something you would make yourself, at home. So as soon as I would see my father carefully pealing away the outer cabbage leaves, curving out the stems to make holes which are to be filled with salt and then, neatly tucking the cabbage in a huge barrel, my spirit would begin to sink. I could smell the sauerkraut season coming. Literally! I mean, apart from the strong taste and hard texture I didn’t like, the smell was a killer for me. Of course it mattered little to me that eating sauerkraut was healthy and good for me as I was told. Especially eaten raw, as if it wasn’t enough that it came in all different cooked, baked, fried, stuffed shapes, forms and flavours during wintertime. So as soon as I grew up a bit and left my parents home, I buried the sauerkraut deep down in my childhood memories.
Until it hit me with its sour and stinky HELLO, right here, on the internet, sticking its head out a bunch of healthy, super foods. Nooooo, what?!? Sauerkraut!!! Seriously!?! My childhood drama is the latest in vogue super food!!! Energy and immune system booster, a mighty probiotic, a healthy gum and teeth promoter, strong bones supporter, anemia preventer, credited even for a glowing skin! Suggestions on how, when and why to eat it, even recipes on how to make sauerkraut at home (do not attempt it if your sense of smell is at all sensitive though, and don’t say I didn’t warn you:) Urgh, wow! And all of you who’ve ever experienced those moments of in between tears and laughter, I know you feel me on this. Anyway, I got curious and decided to give it a second chance, thanking to heavens and back that I can buy it tightly packed and a bit less stinky.
No, we didn’t become bffs, sauerkraut and me. I still find it unpleasant to eat, especially cooked. I did buy 2 packages this past winter, kept it in my fridge, must I stress tightly sealed, as a snack. And that is pretty much the only way I would eat it, just simple and raw. So, whatever happened that day I decided to make a whole pie with it, will forever remain a mystery. Or it must have been really cold outside. Or I was really, really craving some warmth and coziness. Whatever the reason, the result was this amazing, simple to make, delicious to taste, buckwheat sauerkraut pie. Oh, and before we skip to the recipe, I got to say one more thing: Dad, you were right all along, sauerkraut is one healthy powerhouse after all.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- about 400g of buckwheat phylo sheets
- 2 leeks
- 350g shredded or thinly sliced sauerkraut
- 200ml sparkling mineral water
- salt, pepper, olive oil
Let’s roll:
Wash and finely slice the leeks. Preheat a bit of oil in a pan and saute the leeks. Once it becomes all tender, transparent and glossy, pop in the sauerkraut. Season with salt, a good pinch of pepper, mix it all well and leave to saute just for a minute or two.
Turn the oven to 200C and let’s roll the pie.
Take one or two sheets per roll, depending on how thin they are. Sprinkle each sheet with a bit of sparkling water, than spread a bit of sauerkraut and leaks filling and simply roll the phylo into one big, sausage like shape. Seal the ends of the phylo with water, twist the first roll circle shape and place it in a middle of your baking dish. Fill, roll, seal the rest of the phylo sheets and gently place the rest of them around the inner swirl. Or if this is too time consuming for you, simply make lasagna like layers of phylo and filling, starting and ending with two pastry sheets.
Once packed, sprinkle the top of the pie with some mineral water, pop in the oven and bake for about 20min or until golden brown. Enjoy!
