Spanakorizo - Greek Spinach Rice - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs cleaned mature spinach leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1/2 cup excellent quality olive oil for serving
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
finely chopped fresh dill and fresh mint leaves
2 lemons, juice of
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
7 -8 ounces feta cheese
flaked sea salt

Preparation

Discard spinach stems. Rinse leaves well and spin dry (best) or dry thoroughly with paper towels.
In a 6-8 quart dutch oven, add the regular olive oil and onion and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, 8-10 minutes.
Add part of spinach at a time and cook, stirring often, until each batch is wilted before adding more (cover with lid if needed to speed things up) about 15 minutes total.
Stir rice and 1 cup water into spinach; set lid in place. Cook 15-20 minutes on medium low heat. Lift lid, stir and add 3/4 cup water (or more if needed) so mixture looks juicy. Replace lid and cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in dill, mint and lemon juice, then season to taste with sea salt. Crumble feta on top, drizzle with the excellent quality olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on top and serve.
Bon Appetit!