FEED YOUR FETA URGE

In ragtag crumbles or genteel chunks, feta cheese provides a frisky flavor edge to dishes. Its salty, sour-sweet sharpness gives a classic Greek salad its signature taste. The perky cheese dates back thousands of years in Greece, where it’s made with goat’s milk or sheep’s milk. Today, in the U.S., it generally is made commercially with cow’s milk. This rindless, bedsheet-white cheese is cured and stored in a brine made with salt and water or its own whey (the watery liquid that separates from the curd during the cheesemaking process). Brining stops the ripening process, keeping the cheese fresh and flavorful. Due to the salt content of the brine, this cheese acts as a salty element in recipes, something to keep in mind when adding salt to those concoctions. At about 264 calories for a 3 ½-ounce serving (21 grams of fat), feta hovers midway between the higher-in-fat cheddars at about 403 calories and the low-in-fat, part-skim ricottas at about 138 calories. Feta can range in texture from soft to semidry, and “fetaphiles” differ in their preferences. Made in Bulgaria, France, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Romania and Italy, as well as Greece and the U.S., products vary in texture as well as saltiness and tartness.

Some cookbook authors call out a specific style of feta, noting that the French is mildly tangy and moister than Greek, sometimes adding that the Greek feta is saltier and drier, with a stronger flavor profile.

American feta, pleasantly pungent and moist, is available in supermarkets, packaged in airtight containers, either plain (crumbled or in a block) or combined with other flavorings, such as basil and tomato, or garlic and herbs.

Chicken thighs with olives and feta 6 servings

Yield: INGREDIENTS 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed Salt and pepper to taste 1 1⁄2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 large cloves garlic, chopped 1 (14 1⁄2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice 3⁄4 cup imported black olives, such as Kalamata, pitted 1⁄2 cup dry red wine 1 1⁄2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano OR 2 teaspoons dried Optional for serving: 8 ounces cooked and drained orzo; see cook’s notes 2⁄3 cup crumbled feta

Garnish: About 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Optional garnish: Sprigs of fresh Italian parsley and/or fresh oregano

Cook’s notes: This dish is can be served on a bed of cooked orzo, a rice-shaped pasta. Cook it according to package directions, then drain and toss with minced fresh basil and enough

PHOTO BY NICK KOON Chicken thighs with olives and feta cheese can be served over orzo pasta and topped with

fresh oregano.

extra-virgin olive oil to lightly coat pasta.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

PROCEDURE

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper (go easy with the salt if the feta you’re using is salty). Heat oil in large deep skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add chicken in single layer and cook until nicely browned, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to plate or bowl.

2. Add onion to drippings in skillet. Cook over medium heat about 3minutes or until onions soften. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juices, olives, wine and oregano. Return chicken to pan and any accumulated juices; bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through (about 25 minutes), removing lid during last 5minutes of cooking.

3. Place cooked orzo, if using, on serving platter. Top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle with feta and chopped parsley. If desired, garnish platter with sprigs of Italian parsley and oregano. Serve.