Quick Marinated Feta with Orange Zest, Mint and Aleppo Pepper
Here’s about as easy an appetizer as you could want for a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean meal or cocktail party spread. We’ll just make a quick marinade of good olive oil with garlic, Aleppo pepper, orange zest and fresh mint, pour it over the top of a block of feta cheese and serve it forth with lightly toasted pita bread.
By the way, I’m calling this marinated because that seems to be the convention, but really it is more like “dressed”. You can put the dressing on earlier if you want, but it doesn’t really sink into the cheese and you don’t need it to. Your diners will spread the cheese and dressing onto the pita and the flavors will all come together on their palate.
It is worth exploring the different varieties of feta. For example, at Seattle’s Pacific Food Importers (aka Big John’s), you might find a creamy Bulgarian variety, a French sheepsmilk feta and a couple of domestic brands. Whole Foods normally has a couple of options, including a nice one from Mt. Vikos. Whichever feta you choose, pat off any surface moisture and allow it to come up to a cool room temperature before serving. If you serve cheese at refrigerator temperature, much of the flavor is muted.
Aleppo pepper is grown in what used to be the Jewish part of Syria. It has a gorgeous dark red color and earthy, robust, slightly fruity flavor that I love. If you can’t get your hands on it, use regular chili flakes.
A more typical Middle Eastern version of this marinade would actually use dried mint, and you can feel free to do that if you like. The flavor is quite different than fresh, but equally interesting.
Quick Marinated Feta with Orange Zest, Mint and Aleppo Pepper
Vegetarian and gluten free
- 2 tablespoons best quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 big pinch Aleppo pepper or chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (from about 1/2 orange)
- 8 mint leaves (chiffonade) or 1 teaspoon dried mint (rub to release flavor)
- 7 ounces feta
- 3 pita breads cut into 1/8th rounds and lightly toasted in the oven
- In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, pepper flakes, orange zest and mint.
- Put the feta on a plate in one large piece and pour the marinade over it.
- Serve at cool room temperature with the toasted pita.
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Lovely idea and very pretty too. I’ve done something quite similar with a lemon based dressing in the past but orange does sound – and look – really good.
So many flavors that I love in this!
Oh! I didn’t know the English name for that until now! We have a ton of it at home- from Turkey, where it’s called ‘pul biber’. I am hopelessly addicted to it.
How easy and quick! Saving the recipe. Pacific Food Importers is a great place to shop, agree. Can’t wait for our return to Seattle. Until then your blog keeps me somewhat in the area. Thank you!
I made this tonight. The only change for me was to add a little orange juice from the orange that I zested. It was a little too bitter for me without it, and the smell of the mint made the prospect of a little orange juice somehow irresistible.
It was fantastic!
That sounds like an interesting variation!
Just wanted to note you can find aleppo pepper at penzey’s, either in a local shop or online, here: http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysaleppopepper.html
Not affiliated, just a happy customer.
Thanks for the lovely recipe!
I made this last night for a last-minute get-together with friends. Folks loved it. My only critiques are (a) it needed more mint, at least more “mint of the kind you can get in New England in January.” If I made it again, I’d double the amount. The mint was fresh and good and had a nice flavor when I tasted the leaves, but it was almost lost among the other flavors, and (b) I’d make double the marinade. The amount speficied covered the block of feta nicely, but then people cut off pieces and by the time we reached the middle, there was almost no marinade left. A bit more, swimming around the edge of the block, and small spoon with which to “baste” the block, would have been a good addition.
The leftovers from a second block are still good (and lovely) the next day, but need a bit more liquid — it’s all been absorbed into the cheese while it sat in the fridge overnight.
Thanks Spike! Great feedback as always.
Sounds like a lovely little appetizer for a dinner party. Looks good and easy to make too.
Made this tonight with the Mt. Vikos feta and it was hands down one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. I will make this again and again! Thank you!