Why it works: Dill and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,630 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Kremidopita
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Soak the onions for an hour to reduce their strong taste.
Crumble the feta cheese and place in a bowl.
Drain the onions and add them to the bowl with dill, eggs, pepper, and olive oil, then mix all ingredients well.
Assemble the pie
Oil a baking pan.
Spread half of the filo sheets over the pan, ensuring the sheets extend above the pan edges.
Oil each filo sheet separately.
Spread the mixture over the bottom filo sheets.
Fold over the filo sheets.
Place the remaining filo sheets on top.
Oil each of the top sheets separately.
Slice off any excess top sheets that remain.
Score the top sheet with a knife into squares.
Bake
Bake for an hour at 180–200 °C.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Feta Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Dill + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,630 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Feta cheese + olivetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,482 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
-
Onion + olivetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Olive + dilltop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,223 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
-
Onion + feta cheesetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,030 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl butyrate (apple, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Onions
- Provide sweetness and moisture to the filling once their sharp bite is softened.
- Feta cheese
- Adds salty, tangy flavor and a creamy, crumbly body to the filling.
- Eggs
- Bind the filling so it sets into a sliceable layer as it bakes.
- Filo
- Thin layers that crisp and turn golden when brushed with oil.
- Olive oil
- Coats the filo so the layers crisp and brown rather than drying out.
- Dill
- Adds a fresh, herbal aroma that balances the rich feta and eggs.
The step that matters
Soak the onions before using them. Soaking draws out some of the sharp sulfur compounds that make raw onion pungent, so the onion tastes milder and sweeter once baked. Draining them well afterward keeps excess water from making the filling soggy.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (feta cheese, olive, dill, pepper, egg):
- Spinachfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Cucumberfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against feta cheese, olive, dill, pepper, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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