Let’s discover more about fabulous feta and bring some wine to the party!
How much do you like feta? If that’s the case for Greeks, we seem to like it quite a lot, consuming about 10 kilos of it annually. Most Greeks can’t live without it, enjoying this cheese in various forms and textures. Most of us have a friend who is having some with every single meal, right?
This post is an attempt to uncover feta’s diverse character. Sure, its creamy, crumbly, grainy texture and its full-flavoured, salty, tangy flavour are glorious -nothing much one can say about it. But 2018 is a year of discovery. So let’s discover together how feta works as part of a dip, in a pie or whipped up as a mousse.
Allow us inspire you to eat more feta and pair these recipe ideas with delicious Greek wine as well. Let’s not forget, the most recognised Greek product, is a quite a wine-friendly cheese. So today we will look into three feta recipe ideas and how each pairs with a different variety of Greek white grapes: Assyrtiko, Malagouzia and Vilana-also explaining their flavour profiles.
-Turokafteri (spicy feta dip) with Assyrtiko
The main ingredient for turokafteri –apart from feta, of course- is roasted Florina peppers. For this dip you will also need: extra virgin olive oil, chilli flakes, yoghurt, white vinegar and paprika. Add the feta and roasted peppers to a food processor, add the remaining ingredients to taste until you create a smooth dip.
The famous Assyrtiko (usually from Santorini) balances this spicy dip with its tangy acidity. Maybe the most popular Greek white dry wine, Assyrtiko is lemony and mineral. Although cultivated successfully in the mainland as well as in other parts of the world, the Santorini Assyrtiko is always a point of reference, a fascinating case of vine that was never affected by phylloxera. But let this be the subject of another blogpost.
-Turopitakia (cheesepies) with Malagouzia
Think of small pastries with kourou dough and a melty feta filling. You can also use phyllo pastry if you don’t have much time. To make your filling, combine feta cheese with eggs -and you can add another cheese (like muzithra or graviera) in there too.
The pies are looking for something aromatic so we could not recall of a wine more appropriate than Malagouzia. Think of a white grape variety producing pale yellow wines with white flowers, herbs, citrus fruits and mature peaches -all these aromas pair perfectly with these little pies.
-Feta cheesecake with Vilana
Not any cheesecake would do; but a cheesecake with a galomizithra and feta mousse, with a base made of rusks and some sautéed apricot would do the trick. Rusks are added to a food processor and whisked until really smooth. You can add a bit of honey and melted butter until the mixture solid and refrigerate it. In case you don’t have apricots, another similar summery fruit would be great as well.
Vilana grape, described by the famous Jancis Robinson as “relatively delicate speciality of Crete” produces fresh whites with soft acidity. Its citrusy, lemon tree flower and green apple notes; create the perfect balance for this not-so-sweet dessert.
Did you enjoy the recipes? Would you like more detailed descriptions? Please let us know.
What’s your favourite way of enjoying feta? How do you pair it with wine? We would love to know!
By Lida
