- 1 (8-ounce) slab Greek feta, blotted dry
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Optional: a pinch of fresh thyme leaves, minced plus an extra sprig for garnish
- For serving: crostini, crackers, crusty bread or toast, pita chips or Greek-style pita bread, toasted and cut into wedges
Roasted Feta with Honey
Yield: 6-8 servings
A bowl of cashews or almonds is an easy complement to this practically effortless appetizer. For full flavor, spoon a bit of honey that has pooled along the sides over the feta after it comes out of the oven. Any leftovers can be reheated and enjoyed as is, or spread over toast with an extra drizzle of honey.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a small oven-to-table earthenware dish or a small ovenproof sauté pan with aluminum foil. (This will make it easy to drain excess moisture and transfer the cheese later.) Place the feta in the dish and coat with the olive oil. Bake until the cheese is soft and springy to the touch but not melted, about 8 minutes.
Remove the feta from the oven and preheat the broiler. (Tip: Some varieties of feta will release a good bit of liquid when baked. If there’s a pool of it, carefully pour it off to avoid watering down the end result. I find it easiest to lift by the foil, which cools quickly, and let the liquid spill out in the sink.)
Spread the honey over the top and sides of the feta, and then broil until the top of the cheese browns and just starts to bubble. (Watch carefully so you don’t burn the feta. In my oven, this takes about 2 minutes on the top rack—or a little more than 3 minutes when I forget to switch to the broil setting when I remove the dish from the oven after baking. Also, turning the dish several times while broiling will help evenly brown the surface.)
Remove from the oven and spoon some of the honey that has run off the sides over the top of the feta. Season with black pepper and minced thyme. Use a metal spatula to transfer the feta to a serving dish (or simply remove the messy foil and use the baking dish for serving) and serve immediately with crackers or bread of choice.
Notes
I adapted this recipe from Sara Dickerman’s original, which calls for thyme-infused honey and double the olive oil. Since people are far more likely to have regular honey on hand, I use that, and sprinkle with a pinch of fresh thyme before serving. I also find that 1 tablespoon of oil is sufficient to coat the block of cheese.