Hot Snacks: Feta Cheese Straws With Turkish Chili
Nobody puts out a better Middle Eastern cookbook than the husband-wife team of Greg and Lucy Malouf. Their recipes come with beautiful stories that will inspired you to make something phenomenal in your kitchen, and add a new favorite to your repertoire. Try these feta cheese straws on for size!
A twist on the ever-popular cheese straw, these use sharp, salty feta and Turkish red chilli flakes, which give them an addictive spicy kick. Serve before dinner with a glass of chilled Fino sherry! They are best eaten on the day you bake them, but the dough freezes well for up to a month.
Reprinted with permission from New Feast: Modern Middle Eastern Vegetarian
Hot Snacks: Feta Cheese Straws With Turkish Chili
Prep Time
40
minutes
Cook Time
15
minutes
Servings
30-40
Total time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- Heaping 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 7 ounces feta
- 4 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Turkish red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon crème fraîche (or sour cream)
Directions
- Combine all the ingredients, except for the creme fraiche, in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly, 5 or 6 times, until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the creme fraiche and process for 10-15 seconds, or until the mixture starts to clump together and form a ball.
- Tip onto a floured work surface. Divide the mixture in half and shape into rounds. Wrap each piece in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking tray.
- Use a floured rolling pin to roll out a portion of the dough to as even a rectangle as you can manage. It should be about ¼ inch thick and up to 10 inches long. With a very sharp knife, cut into long strips, around ½ inch wide – but a little randomness in both length and shape is good.
- Lift the strips carefully onto the prepared tray (you may have to bake them in batches) and bake for around 15 minutes until a deep golden brown. Do make sure you don’t undercook them, or they will be softish, instead of crisp and crunchy. Cool on the tray for a few moments, then transfer to a wire rack to cool further. They are at their very best just slightly warm but, in any event, should ideally be eaten on the day you make them.