This Leeks, Cornmeal Casserole with Feta Cheese is known as Pispili me Presh in my native country of Albania. This is a filling, inexpensive, meatless and comforting winter savory pie.
I don’t want to turn this into a history page:), but shortly I would like to explain few things about pispili. Usually in Albania and some surrounding countries we make cornmeal casseroles or savory cornmeal pies. Some regions call them shapkat and some regions call them pispili.
Usually these cornmeal casseroles are made with layers and a filling in between or filling and cornmeal mixed together and into one layer and baked like a quiche.
My grandparents from Gjirokastra made Shapkat with Spinach and Feta and their version was with layers. But my neighbors from Korça made this version of the cornmeal casserole which is baked all together like a quiche. And they called theirs pispili.
Ingredients
This savory pie is inexpensive because it uses simple ingredients. Usually we made the leeks version of this recipe in winter (leeks were seasonal and available only in winter time). While we made the spinach version year around.
- leeks
- cornmeal – I use a combination of yellow and white cornmeal.
- eggs
- feta cheese
- milk
- olive oil
- butter
- sea salt / black pepper
If you are a fan of using leeks in your cooking feel free to check some of my other leeks recipes:
- Leeks, Rice and Ground Beef Casserole
- Leeks and Orange Salad
- Butternut Squash & Leeks Soup
- Beef Barley Soup with Leeks
Sonila’s Method for Making Pispili me Presh
Here’s a simplified step by step process on making this leeks, cornmeal casserole.
- Chop the head and tail of leeks off. Wash and rinse them really well.
- Chop leeks and add them to a bowl of water. Drain.
- Saute leeks with salt and pepper in olive oil until soft. Set aside to cool.
- Get a bowl and whisk eggs, add milk, cornmeal, crumbled feta cheese and olive oil. Mix well.
- Add sauteed leeks and mix all together.
- Pour the mix on a baking tray lined up with parchment paper. Add more feta cheese on top and sprinkle about a tablespoon or two of cornmeal on top. Add some pieces of butter spread around as well.
- Bake at 400 degrees F (about 200 degrees C) until golden brown on the edges (it took me about 35 minutes). Baking time might vary based on oven and baking dish you use.
Leeks, Cornmeal Casserole with Feta Cheese (Pispili me Presh)
Equipment
- 1 9 x14 Baking dish
- 1 Whisk
- 1 large bowl
Ingredients
- 3 leeks
- 4 tbsps olive oil, divided
- sea salt / black pepper to taste
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ¾ cup white cornmeal
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 4 ozs feta cheese
- butter
Instructions
- Chop the head and tail of leeks off, wash them really well, even rinse in between leafs. Cut the leeks in slices and add them to a bowl of cold water. Then drain and let air dry for few minutes.
- Place a skillet with a thin layer of olive oil to medium heat in the stovetop. Once oil is shimmery, add leeks, season with salt and pepper and saute leeks until soft and volume goes down. Set aside to cool down.
- Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add milk, olive oil, cornmeal, and crumbled feta. Add cooked leeks and season with some more salt. Mix as you go after each step but don't overmix.
- Pour the mix on a baking dish covered with parchment paper. Spread with a spatula to even the surface. Crumble the remaining feta cheese and add on top. Add sliced butter and a sprinkle of yellow cornmeal.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees F for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for about 15 minutes before you cut it in squares. Serve with your favorite dishes:). Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Our favorite side dishes to serve with this dish are salad and yogurt.
- Leftovers hold well in the refrigerator and you can warm them up in the oven.
Nutrition Label
Nutrition
If you would like to save this recipe for later, please pin one of the pictures from this recipe to your boards in Pinterest. It’ll help you retrieve the recipe in the future.
Feel free to leave comments below:). I love hearing from my readers! My family and I appreciate you reading my blog and making my recipes. Thank you!!
More Albanian Dishes
I have summarized some of my Albanian recipes in this post: My Albanian Food. But you can browse through some of them below too:).
- Byrek me Mish (Meat Phyllo Pie)
- Byrek me Spinaq (Spinach Phyllo Pie)
- Tavë me Kos (Lamb yogurt bake)
- Stuffed Peppers
- Revani
- Byrek me Qepë dhe Domate (Phyllo pie with Onions and Tomatoes)
Leave a Reply