British
Sesame-Crusted Feta With Black Lime Honey From Ottolenghi Test Kitchen
- Prep time 45 minutes
- Cook time 25 minutes
- Serves 8
Author Notes
“Everything is betta with feta,” says Tara, voted the number one feta fan of all time, and, to be fair, she might be right. We try really hard not to show cheese favoritism (cheesism), but we’d be lying if we didn’t admit that feta makes a prominent appearance in the OTK fridge, its salty, tangy properties lending it well to multiple preparations.
This dish is a little bit sweet, a lotta bit salty, a tiny bit bitter, and a whole bit crispy. It’s exactly what you’d serve for brunch (with bacon, if you like) and not much else, as it really is quite rich.
Get ahead:
– Coat the feta the night before, cover well, and keep refrigerated.
Make it your own:
– Leave out the black lime if you can’t find any—this dish is just as special without it.
– Swap out the feta for halloumi cheese instead. —Food52
Test Kitchen Notes
Recipe excerpted with permission from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi, published by Clarkson Potter © 2021. —The Editors
Ingredients
- Sesame-Crusted Feta
-
2
blocks of Greek feta (123/4 oz/360g), each cut into 4 triangles (8 triangles in total)
-
1/4 cup
(35 grams) rice flour or all-purpose flour
-
1
large egg, well beaten
-
2/3 cup
(100 grams) mixed black and white sesame seeds, lightly toasted
-
2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
-
1/2 tablespoon
lemon thyme leaves or regular thyme leaves
- Black Lime Honey
-
1/3 cup
(120 grams) honey
-
1 teaspoon
ground black lime (optional)
-
3
lemons: 1 juiced to get 1 tablespoon of juice and the other 2 left whole
Directions
- Line a shallow baking dish (or baking sheet with a slight lip), about 12 x 8 inches/30 x 20cm in size, with parchment paper.
- Pat dry the feta pieces, then dip each piece in the flour, gently shaking off the excess. Coat in the egg, followed by the sesame seeds, making sure the feta pieces are completely coated. Transfer each piece to the prepared dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the coated feta pieces with the oil and bake from cold, for 18 minutes, very gently flipping the pieces over halfway, or until golden and warmed through.
- While the feta is baking, put the honey and black lime, if using, into a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Once it starts to bubble, turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until it turns a deep amber caramel, about 6 to 7 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Use a small, sharp knife to peel and segment the remaining two lemons and stir the segments into the cooled honey mixture.
- When ready, pour the syrup directly over the feta in the baking dish, sprinkle with the thyme, and serve at once, straight from the dish.
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