Our filo parcels are packed with creamy prawns and spinach. They make a delicious snack but served with a light salad they are perfect for a mid-week dinner too.
These parcels are made out of filo pastry, an unleavened dough often used in Middle-Eastern or Greek dishes and made from flour, water, and a little bit of oil, with fillings being either sweet or savoury.
We love using flaky filo pastry as it gives the dish a nice, crispy bite and it’s so easy and cheap to buy from the supermarket. Although, if you’re feeling adventurous you could prepare it at home by combining its key ingredients, and rolling and stretching the dough into a very large and thin sheet.
Our creamy prawn and spinach filo parcels might seem challenging but they are in fact so easy to make that you won’t know why you haven’t made them before! With only a handful of ingredients they will be hitting your table in only 30 minutes.
These filo parcels are packed with spinach, which is rich in vitamins and iron. Iron plays a key role in building our strength and energy – famously coined by muscle man, Popeye! Wrapped in light as air filo pastry you won’t even realise the velvety prawn and spinach filling is good for you! For an even healthier version, remove the cheese and swap the double cream for half-fat crème fraiche.
Looking for more tasty dishes? If you've got the hang of these filo parcels, why not try a salmon and kale filo pie?
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C, Gas 6. Wash the spinach and put into a large pan over a medium heat for 5 mins until wilted. Allow to cool, then drain well, squeezing out any excess liquid.
- Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan and add the leek. Cook for 5 mins, until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute. Gradually add in the flour and stir over the heat for 1 min. Gradually add in the milk, stirring all the time to avoid lumps. Stir in the wine and return to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened. Reduce the heat and add the prawns, and season with salt and pepper, stirring for 5 mins. Remove from the heat and fold trough the cheddar, dill, cream and spinach.
- Brush the filo pastry sheets with melted butter, put ¼ of the filling onto one side of each rectangular sheet of pastry. Roll twice then fold in the edges and continue to roll to seal. Place on a baking tray and brush the remaining melted butter over, bake for 15-20 mins, until golden brown.
- Serve with a big fresh salad.
Ingredients
- 500g spinach
- 1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 55g butter
- 30g plain flour
- 150ml milk
- 50ml dry white wine
- 200g cooked king prawns, black veins removed
- 50g mature cheddar, grated
- 1tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 2tbsp double cream
- 4 sheets filo pastry
Top Tip for making Filo parcels with creamy prawns and spinach
The pastry can be filled and cooked up to 6 hours ahead, and returned to the oven to be reheated before serving
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