Shankleesh Pie Recipe

Prepare dough

In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cubes and 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening (if using). Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Add ice water

Sprinkle 4 tablespoons ice water over the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until the dough just comes together when pressed. You may not need all the water. Avoid overworking.

Chill

Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the filling. This relaxes gluten and firms the fats.

Roll and fit

On a lightly floured surface roll the chilled dough to a 12-inch circle about 1/8–1/4 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie pan or tart tin, trim excess leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, and flute or press edges. Chill the lined pan for 10 minutes before blind baking.

Blind-bake (optional, recommended for a crisper bottom)

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake another 8–10 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) for filling bake. If you skip blind-baking, bake the filled pie a few minutes longer to ensure cooked crust.

Prepare cheeses

If shankleesh is very hard or intensely aged, crumble it finely. In a medium bowl mash 4 oz softened cream cheese with 10 oz crumbled shankleesh until reasonably smooth but still a bit textured — the dish benefits from small cheese bits for character.

Mix wet ingredients

Whisk together 2 eggs, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon lemon zest until homogeneous.

Combine filling

Fold the egg-yogurt mixture into the cheese mixture. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped mint, 1 teaspoon dried za'atar, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning — because shankleesh can be salty, add a pinch of sugar or more yogurt if the filling tastes overly sharp.

Assemble pie

Pour the filling into the partially baked crust (or unbaked if you skipped blind baking). Smooth the top with a spatula and tap the pan gently to remove air pockets.

Bake

Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 30–35 minutes, until the filling is set at the edges and slightly wobbly in the center. If the crust edge browns too quickly, cover it with foil.

Cool

Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes to allow the filling to firm. The pie can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Finish and serve

Brush the warm pie top and crust lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds across the top if using, and scatter remaining fresh herbs (about 1 tablespoon) for color and freshness. Slice into 6–8 pieces and serve with a simple salad or flatbreads.