Twist on a Classic Favorite: Lobster-filled Phyllo Triangles

This year my mom and I decided to try a new appetizer for Easter - Spanakopita, a recipe we've been wanting to make for a while.

We loved the idea of making Spanakopita for two reasons:

1. They're absolutely delicious and always a crowd pleasing appetizer.
2. They can be made ahead of time, frozen, and baked straight out of the freezer.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Spanakopita, it is a Greek appetizer made up of phyllo and traditionally filled with a spinach and feta mixture.

Spanakopita has inspired a number of variations to the traditional spinach and feta filling, such as these Lobster Filled Phyllo Triangles, by Martha Stewart, providing an elegant version, perfect for a special occasion.

Made up of a wonderful assortment of rich and flavorful ingredients, this dish will not last long on your appetizer table. They didn't last more than a few minutes on ours. Next year we're making double!

To find a recipe for traditional Spinach and Feta Phyllo Triangles, visit my food blog Sprinkles of Parsley.

Recipe Tips: After trying this recipe, I would definitely recommend buying 2 lbs of lobster meat instead of cooking a lobster to ensure you get a sufficient amount of lobster meat.

Lobster Filled Phyllo Triangles
Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres
Makes: 24 triangles
Prep Time: 1 hour
Bake Time: 10 minutes when fresh or 15 minutes if baking when frozen (bake until golden)

Ingredients
1 large lobster, cooked, or 2 lbs of lobster meat
4 tablespoons butter
6 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup white wine or vodka
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package phyllo pastry
Melted butter

Directions
Begin by cooking your lobster in a large pot of boiling water. Place your lobster, head first, into a pot of boiling water and cover with your lid. Cook for 15 minutes until bright red. Break your lobster shell and remove the meat. Chop your lobster meat into small pieces and set aside.

Chop your scallions into small slivers. Place your scallions and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan and saute over medium/high heat for 3 minutes. Increase your heat to high, add the reserved lobster meat and wine, and stir quickly until combined. Then separate your liquid from the lobster mixture, straining into a separate bowl and set your lobster mixture aside.

Melt another 2 tablespoons of butter in your skillet over medium/low heat. Add the flour and cook slowly without letting the flour mixture brown, about 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Then add your cream and the reserved liquid separated from the lobster mixture and stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Once thickened, add your lobster mixture to the pan and season with cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Mix to combine and set aside to cool completely before filling your phyllo.

To prepare your phyllo, carefully roll it out onto a clean surface.  Place the sheet of plastic your phyllo came wrapped in over the entire surface and cover with a damp towel.  When working with Phyllo, make sure to always keep the damp towel over the plastic to avoid drying it out.  Also, make sure the towel does not make direct contact with the phyllo or it will become soggy.

Lay one sheet of phyllo vertically in front of you on a clean work surface. Brush with melted butter. Lay a second sheet of phyllo over the first and brush with butter again. Then cut 4 long equal strips of phyllo. I found it easiest to cut it in half and then cut the two halves in half again. Add a heaping teaspoon of filling on the left corner of the beginning of your phyllo strip.

Lift your bottom right corner over and fold along the left side edge evenly. Press down gently so your top is flat. Lift your bottom left corner up and fold along the left side edge evenly. Press down gently so your top is flat. Then flip to the right, making sure to stay lined up along the edge of the phyllo. Then flip up, keeping your phyllo along the edge. Then flip over to the left, making sure to stay in line along the edge of the phyllo. Then flip up again and continue these motions until you reach the end of the phyllo strip and have a complete triangle. If you have extra phyllo at the end, just fold it under.

Place your triangles on a cookie sheet and brush the top with melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve and enjoy it while it's hot!