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round soft cheese in shallow bowl surrounded with olive oil, herbs and whole spices. Hand holding a baguette slice that has been spread with some of the cheese.

Marinated Cheese with Herb and Garlic Infused Olive Oil


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5 from 1 review

Description

This is a fantastic party appetizer that doesn't require a lot of time or effort to prepare and always wows the crowd. A wheel of rich creamy cheese bathed in aromatic herb and garlic-infused olive oil, ready to be devoured with crusty bread.

Adapted from a recipe in the cookbook Shaya, by Alon Shaya


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 8-ounce wheel of soft cheese such as aged goat or La Tur (note 1)
  • 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 dried Arbol chili pepper or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 star anise pod
  • Two 2-inch strips of orange peel, orange part only, divided
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to finish
  • Toasted baguette slices or thinly-sliced fresh crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

Equipment: Small 1-quart oven-proof covered casserole with a lid  or other small pyrex casserole with a lid or any small casserole, covered with a double layer of foil.

  1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Put the cheese into the chosen serving plate (a shallow bowl or rimmed plate) and leave the cheese to soften while you prepare the seasoned oil.
  2. Use the flat side of a wide knife to crush the garlic cloves lightly, just to loosen their skins, and place garlic into the casserole pan.
  3. Lightly crush or roughly chop the allspice and coriander, and add them to the pan with the garlic, along with the olive oil, bay leaves, chili, star anise, and one strip of the orange peel. Cover and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the garlic is golden.
  4. Remove pan from oven, uncover, and add the second strip of orange peel. Leave the oil to cool, uncovered. 
  5. Just before serving, pour the infused oil over the softened cheese, letting some of the oil and spices drizzle onto the plate. Sprinkle with sea salt, to taste.
  6. Serve with thin slices of crusty bread and, and encourage your guests to spread the cheese on the bread and use it to soak up the delicious infused oil.

Notes

  1. Choosing the cheese - Look for a wheel of soft cheese such as La Tur, Robiola Rocchetta or a Goat Brie such as Bonne Bouche or Laura Chenel.  You can also used a log of fresh goat cheese - I've tried this, with great results. Rather than leave the goat log whole, I suggest you break it up into large hunks, spread them out in the serving dish, and pour the infused oil over. 
  2. Nutrition Disclaimer: We do our best to provide accurate nutrition values using an online nutrition calculator however our nutrition information should only be used as an approximation. This nutrition calculation does not include the bread served alongside.
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern