Instructions: First cook the minced beef.

Melt the butter in a large pan on the simmering plate add the meat and cook stirring.

When the natural fat begins to run out transfer to the boiling plate and brown the meat.

Add the flour mix well then add the tomatoes garlic tomato puree sugar and seasoning.

Bring to the boil simmer for 5 minutes cover and transfer to the simmering oven. Bake for 45 minutes until tender.

Check the seasoning.

Next mix the spinach filling.

Squeeze all of the water out of the spinach.

Turn into a bowl with the cheeses then add the eggs season with salt and pepper and mix well.

Spread half of the beef mixture in a shallow ovenproof dish about 380 x 300mm.

Top with the spinach mixture then with a layer of the remaining beef.

Spread about 5 sheets of the filo pastry out on a table.

Brush with melted butter.

Cover the surface of the beef with 3 layers of filo using the 5 buttered sheets of filo trimming to fit.

Brush the remaining 12 sheets with butter.

Scrunch up each sheet and arrange on top oFthe layered filo.

This means that each person gets a crispy piece of filo and the dish is easier to cut into portions.

Bake on the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven for about 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown and bubbling at the edges.

This is wellflavoured minced beef topped with spinach and cheese then finished with a to of crisp filo pastry. The sheets of filo that we buy in the local supermarket are cypressa.

Serves 12

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