Marathopita (literally 'fennel pie') is the Lenten pie of the Cyclades — wild fennel from the hillsides combined with leeks, scallions, dill, and herbs in a yeasted bread dough, then pan-fried or oven-baked. Naxos is most famous for it, particularly the village of Apiranthos in the island's interior. Eaten warm as a meal in itself with a glass of citron liqueur.
Fennel-stuffed pan-pie cut into slim wedges. The single thin sheet of dough is dry and lightly crisp; the filling tastes of wild fennel — green, almost licorice — with onion and herbs (traditionally no cheese). Greek-island fennel pie.
Wild marathos (fennel) is foraged when its young leaves are tender — they carry the concentrated, anise-like anethole that gives the pie its sweetness. The dough is a single thin sheet brushed/fried with olive oil, not butter — Crete's Lenten vegetarian tradition.
Variations
Crete uses wild marathos and feta; Naxos version uses cultivated fennel with anthotyro; the Athens commercial version uses dill in winter when marathos isn't available.
On the Palate
Where Marathopita sits in the Greek flavor cloud
Ingredients
How it's made
5 steps · 1 hour 15 min
- 18 min
Dough: dissolve 7g yeast in 200ml warm water with 1 tsp sugar. Add 400g flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp olive oil. Knead 8 min; rise 1 hour.
- 24 min
Filling: chop 2 large bunches of wild fennel fronds (or fennel bulb tops), 2 leeks (whites and pale greens), 4 scallions, 1 small bunch dill, 1 small bunch mint.
- 310 min
Sauté the chopped vegetables in 5 tbsp olive oil over medium heat 10 min until softened. Salt heavily.
Watch outCook the greens right down until they collapse and give up their water — go in wet and the filling steams the dough instead of frying it crisp.
- 45 min
Divide dough in half. Roll each into a 25cm disc. Spread filling on one; cover with the second; pinch edges to seal. Press flat into a 30cm disc.
- 512 min
Pan-fry in olive oil over medium 6 minutes per side, OR bake at 200°C for 25 minutes. Cool 5 min before slicing.
Watch outFry over steady medium until each side is spotted golden and the dough sounds crisp when you tap it — too hot and the outside colors before the inside cooks.
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