Tart London: How to make baked feta

Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison evoke the spirit of the Greek islands with a trio of baked feta
Tart London
Lucy Carr-Ellison23 August 2018

There is no place on Earth that beats the Greek islands for their simple beauty and the way they imbue visitors with a deep sense of wellbeing.

The smaller islands are only reachable by boat, which is a particularly delicious way of arriving. Jemima went for a week to Paxos with a group of friends recently. How unspoilt and special it all felt, arriving in late evening sunshine. The scent of pines and cypresses reaches you long before you get to the shore, followed by the hypnotic song of cicadas.

After a morning exploring, we ordered a fantastic baked feta for lunch. It arrived parcelled in tin foil, straight off the barbecue; when prised open, we discovered mouth-watering, bubbling cheese surrounded by tomatoes, onions and chillies. It was a revelation — so simple yet so impressive. We have come up with three recipes: one classic, one with mixed nuts and saffron honey, one with lots of tarragon and lemon. Try serving it with slow-cooked lamb and herby rice, or simply served with pre-dinner drinks and sourdough for dipping.

Under the tree: Jemima and Lucy have a powwow with their bow-wow

Baked Feta

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 250g feta

For the classic

  • Handful of cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • ½ red onion, sliced
  • Leaves of 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 red chilli, seeds removed and chopped
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For the saffron honey

  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Pinch of saffron
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp dried chilli
  • 1 tsp pine nuts, chopped
  • ½ tsp nigella seeds
  • 1 tsp pumpkin seeds, chopped
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
  • 1 tsp chopped almonds
  • ½ tsp dried oregano 

For the fresh

  • Leaves of 1 small bunch of tarragon 
  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C. Take a big piece of baking parchment or tin foil and place the feta in the centre — make sure there is enough space to pinch all the sides closed together — and place on a baking tray.

For the classic version, simply assemble all the ingredients on top of the feta: tomatoes and garlic followed by the onion then thyme leaves. Finish with chillies and lemon zest then season and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

For the saffron honey version, heat the honey in a small pan over a medium heat with the saffron, paprika and chilli for two or three minutes to infuse, then set aside. In another pan, briefly heat the seeds and nuts until fragrant. Sprinkle over the feta, drizzle with honey and finish with oregano. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

For the fresh version, cover the feta in the tarragon leaves then sprinkle with garlic, lemon zest and juice. Drizzle with oil and season. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

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