Saturday Afternoon Platter – Marinated Feta Cheese

Part two in this weekends Saturday Afternoon Platter post. Read the other parts here and here.

Marinated feta has an amazing texture. It becomes spreadable and soft, it also soaks up all the wonderful flavours you have added to the oil. You can change the flavours to suit your tastes, thyme, chilli, lemon, peppercorns, oregano, rosemary, garlic and sage all work well with cheese. Mix and match and find your perfect combo.

This recipe is also a great way to improve a mediocre feta. You know the sort I mean, the slightly rubbery, overly salty kind. This recipe turns it into a soft and yielding cheese, whilst the oil and additional flavours help to balance the saltiness.

This is best left for at least a few hours, but ideally you want to make it a week in advance. It will keep for up to a month in the fridge as long as you ensure the oil is covering all the cheese.

I talk about my method for sterilising jars here, there is also a link to other ways of doing it. It is important to sterilise the jar, that way your feta will stay super fresh and enhanced by the additional ingredients.

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 INGREDIENTS

• 375g feta cheese
• 6 whole peppercorns
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 150ml olive oil

1. Cut the feta into 2 cm cubes.
2. Sterilise a 500ml jar.
3. Thinly slice the garlic.
4. Place the peppercorns and garlic into the jar.
5. Place a layer of feta in the jar, sprinkle over some of the herbs. Continue to add the feta and herbs until your jar is full.
6. Pour the olive oil over the cheese. (you may not need it all)
7. Screw the lid on tightly and place the jar in the fridge until you are ready to eat the feta.
8. During the time in the fridge the olive oil may start to solidify, this is normal, just allow the cheese to sit at room temperature for about half an hour before you use it.