Authentic old-fashioned pie from the Chania plain
This is an emblematic Chania boureki — not simply kolokythoboureko (courgette pie), but the way it is called and made in the countryside around Chania, Crete. My friend Irini, who gave me this recipe, insists that the locals do not call it kolokythoboureko but simply boureki — or at least Chania boureki — and the name carries the weight of local identity and tradition.
Although there are many existing recipes for boureki on the site, and many regional variations, this one comes from the heart of the Chania plain (“tou kampou ton Chanion”), and in its own right represents perhaps one of the oldest versions of the dish. Passed down orally among families and shared generously with me and my relatives in Chania, it reflects the rhythms of home cooking and the care taken with humble ingredients such as courgettes and potatoes.
Irini describes it as thick and layered, with three layers of courgettes to one of potatoes, with a pastry sheet both beneath and on top, using authentic Chania myzithra cheese and plenty of ripe tomato. It is a dish to be enjoyed hot, straight from the oven, because its full flavour is revealed at its most aromatic when just baked.
Ingredients
For the dough:
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About 500 g flour for pastry (or all-purpose flour)
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250 ml (1 cup) water
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60 ml (4 tbsp) olive oil
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30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice or vinegar or raki
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½ tsp salt
For the filling:
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2 – 2.5 kg large courgettes (beginning to seed)
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Approximately 800 g potatoes
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4 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (avarosamo)
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800 – 1000 g Chania myzithra cheese (see notes)
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Salt and pepper
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Olive oil for lightly frying (less than 1 cup)
For the topping:
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1 tbsp tomato paste dissolved in 125 ml (½ cup) water
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1 egg
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30 – 45 ml (2 – 3 tbsp) olive oil
Instructions
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Prepare the dough by combining the wet ingredients with salt and then adding the flour, or start with the dry ingredients and add the liquids — either way, knead until you have a soft dough that does not stick to the hands. Cover and let it rest.
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Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Season with salt and lightly fry them. Slice the courgettes thinly lengthwise, season and lightly fry them as well. Chop the mint.
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Divide the dough in two (one piece slightly larger than the other). Roll out the larger piece and lay it in a lightly oiled baking dish (about 35 × 25 cm).
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Layer the potatoes in a single layer, sprinkle with a quarter of the myzithra and a quarter of the mint.
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Make three layers of courgettes, placing myzithra and mint between them. Finish with the remaining myzithra and mint.
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Roll out the second piece of dough and cover the filling. Do not seal tightly; simply lay the top sheet over the filling.
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Cut into large pieces. Dissolve the tomato paste in water and pour it over the boureki. Add a little more water if needed — there should be visible liquid but not so much that it submerges the filling.
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Beat the egg with the olive oil and brush the surface. Let any excess liquid penetrate the cuts.
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Bake at 180–200 °C for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes (depending on your oven), positioned lower than the middle rack. The boureki should be cooked through without browning hard.
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Serve hot, just out of the oven — though it is also excellent at room temperature.
Notes
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Chania myzithra: If authentic Chania myzithra is not available, substitute with a blend of mild feta and fresh anthotyro (sweet whey cheese). This will change the character slightly but yields a satisfying result.
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The dish is traditionally not considered a pie to be cut and served as pastry; the base remains soft, not crisp, because it is eaten as a meal with knife and fork.
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The quantities given were suitable for a 35 × 25 cm dish; if you use a smaller dish, reduce the dough and filling proportionally.
Enjoy With
Serve this hearty boureki hot from the oven with a simple salad of seasonal greens and a glass of chilled white wine or raki. It stands alone as a satisfying main or can be part of a larger table of Cretan mezzes.
Original Greek article with photographs and full narrative
CretanGastronomy:
https://www.cretangastronomy.gr/2019/08/boureki-palia-sintagi/
