Whipped feta
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Whipped feta
- 250 g feta, a block in brine, not the pre-crumbled kind, which is dry rounded
- 120 g Greek yogurt rounded
- 50 ml olive oil rounded
- 40 ml cold water, the unexpected one, and what makes it light rather than dense rounded
- 15 ml lemon juice rounded
- 3 g coarse black pepper rounded
- to taste honey, chilli flakes or oregano, for the top, and pick one rather than all three rounded
Method
Method
- Soak the feta in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain. Most feta is aggressively salty out of the brine, and this takes the edge off without washing out the flavour.
- Break it up and blend it with the yogurt and lemon for a full two minutes before anything else goes in.
- Add the oil in a stream, then the cold water, and keep going for another two minutes. This is longer than feels necessary and it is the whole technique. It goes from grainy, to thick and stiff, to suddenly light.
- Rest 30 minutes and finish with oil and one topping.
Notes
- The water is the trick. Oil alone makes it rich and heavy. Water lets it whip up and hold air, which is the difference between a paste and a mousse.
- Do not use pre-crumbled feta. It is dried out and coated to stop it clumping, and it will not come smooth.
- Most feta is made with animal rennet, which is why this is tagged as a vegetarian option rather than vegetarian. Vegetarian feta exists and is usually labelled as such.
- It keeps 4 days, and firms up in the fridge. Beat in a spoon of water to bring it back.
- Tirokafteri is the close relative, which adds roasted chilli and is the spicy version of the same idea.
Ingredient substitutions
- Bulgarian or French feta is creamier and less salty than Greek; use less water. Sheep feta is tangier than cow, and better here.
- Cream cheese for part of the yogurt makes it richer and more stable for a party, at the cost of some sharpness.