Recipe by Alexa Weibel from the New York Times.
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 chili, and refrigerate overnight.
Spoon it onto crostini, or serve it alongside eggs, fish, salad, grilled or roasted vegetables or atop a bowl of pasta.
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon, or 4 strips fresh orange zest plus 1 tbsp juice (from 1 orange)
1 red Serrano chili, very thinly sliced (optional)
4 tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp any combination of whole pink, green, white and black peppercorns, crushed or coarsely chopped
8 oz firm Greek feta, in brine
Crostini or crackers, for serving
In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, parsley, preserved lemon, chili, oregano and peppercorns.
Cut the feta into 1/2-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.
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.