Marinated Feta With Herbs and Peppercorns

By Alexa Weibel

Updated August 22, 2019

  • A white bowl filled with olive oil and feta cubes topped with herbs sits on a marble countertop. To the right are a number of baguette slices.
    David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
10 minutes, plus marinating
Rating
4(480)
Comments
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The best recipes often make a good ingredient great through minimal effort. For this easy appetizer, start with good-quality feta, preferably in brine, which is creamier than the squeaky supermarket varieties. Many commercial fetas use only cow’s milk and can taste somewhat one-note, so look for one that contains both sheep’s and goat’s milk, which provide the cheese’s signature tang. Dice the feta, toss it with preserved lemon, peppercorns and chile, and refrigerate overnight. Spoon it onto crostini, or serve it alongside eggs, fish, salad, grilled or roasted vegetables or atop a bowl of pasta.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2½ cups

  • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon, or 4 strips fresh orange zest plus 1 tablespoon juice (from 1 orange)

  • 1 red serrano chile, very thinly sliced (optional)

  • 4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano

  • 1 tablespoon any combination of whole pink, green, white and black peppercorns, crushed or coarsely chopped

  • 8 ounces firm Greek feta, in brine

  • Crostini or crackers, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

6 grams carbs; 25 milligrams cholesterol; 282 calories; 16 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 360 milligrams sodium; 5 grams protein

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, parsley, preserved lemon, chile, oregano and peppercorns.

  2. Step 2

    Cut the feta into ½-inch cubes and add them to the olive oil mixture. Gently fold together until feta is evenly coated. Transfer to a jar or lidded container and drizzle with more olive oil, if needed to immerse the feta. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

  3. Step 3

    Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving to allow solidified olive oil to return to liquid form. Serve with crackers or crostini, or spoon on top of seared fish, grilled or roasted vegetables, pasta or salad.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
480 user ratings
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Comments

Chris

How long will this last. Can I make up a larger batch and use it for a week (or two)?

Sandy

I’ve visited all over Greece, both mainland and islands, and in all my travels I have never ever had a dish like this that didn’t include garlic! I left out the parsley and added two chunked-up cloves of garlic, without which this feta would’ve cried.

Nancy

Note that pink peppercorns may cause allergic reactions to those who have tree nut (esp cashew) allergies.

T FOXE

Fresh oregano is bitter swap it for fresh marjoram... You'll thank me later.

MerfromMD

After making this many times to much acclaim, to disguise bringing the same app to a party yet again, I added half a finely diced preserved lemon. Wow.

Bonnie Small

If all the feta is eaten and tehre is still a lot of marinade left, add sliced radishes to olive oil. It will soak up the flavor.

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