Method

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 200°C. Brush one of the filo sheets lightly with melted butter and place, buttered-side up, in a 25cm round tart pan, pressing the pastry into the corners. Brush another sheet of filo with butter and lay on top of the first piece, pressing it into the pan at a 45-degree angle to the first sheet. Continue twice more (using 4 sheets total), covering the base and side of the pan with a uniformly thick layer of filo. Trim the overhanging pastry, leaving 1cm over the edges of the tart. Set both pan and pastry scraps aside.
• 2.
  Take another sheet of filo (unbuttered this time) and place the long side in front of you. Fold the bottom edge up to form a fold 3cm wide. Continue folding the pastry in alternating directions (as if you were making a concertina fan) until you end up with 1 long pleated strip. Repeat with the remaining sheets of pastry in the same way. (If the pastry breaks or tears, pat it back into place and continue as if the torn pieces were still connected.)
• 3.
  Starting from the middle of the tart pan, coil 1 folded strip from the middle outwards to start forming a rough snail, spreading the strips roughly 1cm apart. (You want visible gaps between the filo strips, so you can fill them with chunks of feta and the custard.)
• 4.
  Join the end of the pastry with the second strip and continue forming the snail until the 4 sheets have been used. You may still have some space around the edge, which you can fill with the scrap trimmings, folding them in the same way as best you can. Brush the pastry carefully with remaining butter and set any pastry coils upright if they’ve fallen over. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes until the pastry is a dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
• 5.
  Place feta, pecorino and herbs in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream and milk with 1/2 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper.
• 6.
  Gently press cheese and herbs in the gaps of the pastry, being careful not to break the pastry base. Pour the custard over evenly, drizzling in just a little at a time and allowing it to soak evenly into all the gaps. Bake for 25-28 minutes until the custard has set and the cheese has browned. Serve warm.