Mediterranean Baked Feta

Serves 4 /  Gluten-free

Grilled cheese is a big thing in Europe and we really don’t embrace it enough here in the southern hemisphere! I’m not talking about melty mozzarella or cheddar, I’m talking about saganaki or haloumi or giant slabs of oven-roasted feta - if you’ve had it you know what I’m talking about. This rustic version encaptures all of those heady flavours of a European summer… salty olives, woody thyme and fresh citrus with a creamy feta cheese that you’ll want to spread on everything.

Mediterranean Baked Feta Photo: supplied

Ingredients

• 200g feta cheese
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup Kalamata olives
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• ½ lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Place feta in a small ovenproof dish. Add the tomatoes, olives, thyme, garlic and lemon around the sides. Sprinkle the chilli and fennel seeds on top of the feta and drizzle all over with olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are blistered and the feta is softened.

Tip: serve with crackers, toast or vegetable crudités.