Kismet’s Marinated Feta

1 hour (including marinating time). Makes about 1 cup.

No matter the pairing, our feta always starts with an infused oil. The flavors in this oil were inspired by a particular marinated goat cheese from an Australian producer, Meredith Dairy. Aromatic with toasty garlic, lemon zest and black pepper, when paired with creamy cheese, this is about as satisfying as it gets. You can make the feta oil weeks ahead and keep it in the fridge. We even recommend doubling or tripling the batch so you have it hanging around for whenever feta calls. It’s also handy to have on hand for other uses, like dressing salads and marinating vegetables.

INFUSED OIL

1⁄4 cup olive oil Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1⁄2 garlic clove, finely grated on a Microplane

1 bay leaf, preferably

fresh

1 teaspoon coriander

seeds

1⁄2 teaspoon black

peppercorns

FETA

1 (7-ounce) package feta, such as Valbreso

1 In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, bay leaf, coriander and peppercorns. Heat gently over very low heat for 30 minutes to infuse, stirring occasionally to break up any clumps. (You want to avoid caramelization on the garlic, so if you need to turn the heat on and off

Infuse the oil:

to keep it from browning, do it.)

2 Strain the oil into a small container and discard the solids. Let the oil cool to room temperature.

3 Marinate the feta: In a small bowl, crumble the feta into large chunks. Cover the feta with the aromatic oil and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to one week.

Make Ahead The marinated feta holds up to one week in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature at least an hour before serving — oil solidifies when it’s cold, and that’s not so pleasant on the palate.

From “Kismet: Bright, Fresh, Vegetable-Loving Recipes” (Clarkson Potter) by Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson.