A middle eastern flavor bomb to delight your salads and toasties
My sister gifted me the most beautiful treat for my birthday: a year-long subscription to the Masterclass series. I was so excited to see that the iconic Israeli-born chef, Ottolenghi, whose books have garnered him multiple James Beard awards, recently joined the program, and I just had to dive into his online classes. His flavor profiles are a mishmash of Jewish, Arab, and European ingredients, emphasizing cross-cultural recipes—with joyful recipes that won over readers around the globe. His name is now synonymous with intensely flavorful, vegetable-forward Middle Eastern cooking.
“The first barriers are always crossed around a table of food—that’s the power of eating and dining. Food has an incredible ability to bring people together.” - Yotam Ottolenghi
Smoky marinated feta
by Yotam Ottolenghi
10 garlic cloves, peeled 1 lemon; skin peeled into 6 strips 4 bay leaves 2 1⁄2 tsp chipotle chili flakes 250 ml olive oil 1 tsp flaky sea salt 11⁄4 tsp paprika 2 blocks Greek feta (360 g), cut into 1⁄2- inch cubes
Place a small sauté pan over medium- high heat. Once the pan is very hot, add the garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning halfway, until cloves are charred.
Add the lemon strips and bay leaves, and cook for about 90 seconds until lightly charred.
Add the chipotle chili flakes and cook, stirring continuously, until well-toasted and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Remove the pan from the heat, then add the oil, salt, and paprika. Stir for about 30 seconds to combine.
Add the feta to the oil and stir gently so that each piece of cheese is coated in oil, then transfer the cheese and liquid to a shallow container. Allow the feta to marinate at room temperature if you’ll be eating it within a few hours. Otherwise, refrigerate it in an airtight container. (If using later, take the feta out of the refrigerator about an hour or so before you want to serve it to allow the oil to come back up to room temperature and desolidify.)
Smoky Marinated Feta keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe sourced from www.masterclass.com
Looks soooooo delicious!!!!!!