Constantinople’s status as a global spice trade hub helped Greek cuisine during the Byzantine Empire. In 1453, the Turks conquered Constantinople, and it remained a part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years. Many of these influences found their way into Greece’s sweet and savory culinary traditions.
This dish comes from Constantinople and uses spinach, fresh dill, spring onions, and eggs to create a Spinach nest that you can either pan-fry or bake. Baking is a little easier process as you can set and forget, but pan-frying over a medium-low heat also produces the same result.
Spinach, Fresh Dill, and Spring Onions.
Spinach, fresh dill, and spring onions.
Saute your spings onions and fresh dill in olive oil.
Saute your spring onions and fresh dill.
Add your spinach.
Add the spinach and sauté.
Once your spinach, dill, and spring onions have satueed, turn off the heat and the let them cool.
Sauté, and let it cool.
Once your spinach mixture has cooled, create your nexts. You can either use your hands by rolling them into balls, then using a spoon, press down in the center to make the nests. You can also use a rubber spatula to do this directly in the pan.
Create your spinach nests.
Crack your eggs into small bowls so they are easier to add to the middle of the spinach nests.
Crack eggs into small bowls.
Slowly add the eggs to the middle of the spinach nests and turn on medium-low to medium heat. For Method 2 you would create the spinach nests on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 F Degrees between 15 and 25 minutes depending on how runny you want your eggs.
Set your eggs in the spinach nests.
After about 20 minutes your eggs will be ready. You can also cover the pan, but then your eggs will become over-easy, or over-medium, rather than sunny side up sitting in a spinach nest.
Set eggs in spinach.
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