Vine-Baked Feta (V) from Sirocco

By Erin Brown
Related Categories: Cookbook Confidential

“Once you have tried quivering, molten feta with a delicious combination of flavourings, you might never go back to eating feta any other way. And you will also understand why I have stated that this recipe serves 2 when, technically, it could stretch to 4. If you really struggle to find vine leaves, don’t worry – simply wrap up the cheese in some baking paper instead, much the way you would wrap a present. I like to serve these with flatbread.” Sabrina Ghayour, author of Sirocco

Serves 2

6 –8 large vine leaves (vacuum packed or in brine)

200g block of feta cheese

1 unwaxed lemon

2 tablespoons garlic oil

1 teaspoon pul biber chilli flakes

Leaves from 4 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 220°C, Gas Mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Lay out all but 1 of the vine leaves on a chopping board, ensuring they overlap one another slightly. Place the feta in the centre. Grate the lemon zest directly over the cheese, ensuring it falls evenly over the surface. Gently drizzle over the garlic oil, trying to keep it on the surface of the cheese, rather than allowing it to spill over the edges. Then sprinkle over the pul biber. Finally, sprinkle over the thyme leaves (or, alternatively, add whole sprigs, if you prefer).

Carefully wrap up the feta in the vine leaves to make a nice parcel and place the last remaining vine leaf on top to secure the parcel. Bake for 22–25 minutes. Serve the parcels whole and let your diners peel away the leaves at the table.