Creamy Spinach pie

Another version of the classic "spanakopita" where the béchamel sauce makes it fluffy like a souflé

Adapted from "Cook Book" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper

Ingredients (for 8 people):
12 phyllo sheets pastry
1Kg of fresh spinach, roughly chopped (after it is cleaned)
6 Spring onions, chopped
½ a bunch of fresh dill, chopped
a few leaves of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 1/2 tea-cup of goat's cheese, crumbled
6 eggs (yolks separated from the whites)
2 tea-cups of milk, warm
2 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of flour
salt
pepper
some margarine, melted for greasing

Method:
Put the chopped spinach, dill, mint and Spring onions in a colander. Sprinkle over with some salt and start rubbing the vegetables between your palms so to wilt them down and let them drain as much as possible of their liquid.

In a saucepan melt the butter in medium heat and add the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon for 5-6 minutes, until the flour has absorbed the butter and then add the warm milk. Keep stirring vigorously, in medium heat, until the béchamel sauce has thickened and is smooth.

Take the saucepan off the heat and let the béchamel cool down. When the time comes add the mixed vegetables (very well drained), the cheese, the egg yolks, salt and pepper.

In a bowl beat the egg whites very well into a strong marengue and then fold it gently into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

In a large oval pyrex dish lay the first 6 phyllo sheets, greasing first each one with butter before placing it in and letting them hanging out of the rim of the dish. Pour the vegetable/béchamel mixture in the pan and bring the edges of the phyllo sheets towards the center of the dish. Grease each one of the rest of the phyllo sheets and cover the pie folding in the edges so the filling won't run while baking.

With a pointy knife lightly score the surface of the pie into pieces (not all the way down) and drizzle with some water.

Put in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, until the pie is nicely crispy and golden coloured.