This spread is called Htipiti (tee-pee-TEE) in Greek. And it is insanely delicious!
Ingredients
- Red Bell Peppers 4 medium, halved and seeded
- Canola Oil 1 tsp
- Kosher Salt
- Shallot ½ small, minced
- Garlic ½ clove, minced or grated
- Red Wine Vinegar 1 Tbs
- Freshly Ground White Pepper ½ tsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil ¼ cup
- Fresh Thyme chopped, ½ tsp plus more for garnish
- Red Onion finely diced, 2 Tbs
- Feta Cheese 3 oz, preferably a block in brine
Cook It
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put peppers cut side down on the baking sheet, rub with the oil, season with a pinch of salt, and roast for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325°F and roast for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the peppers are very tender and lightly colored around the edges. (Don’t let the peppers cook too long and begin to brown; you want to keep the bright red color but be able to easily remove the skins.)
- Meanwhile, put the shallots, garlic, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the white pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Continue whisking and add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, blending until the vinaigrette emulsifies. Once cool enough to handle but still warm, carefully peel away the pepper skins, then dice and add to the vinaigrette. Stir in the thyme and red onions. Break the feta into pieces and, using your fingers, crumble it into the bowl, making sure there are no large chunks. Stir together so the feta is well incorporated, then season to taste with salt. Chill, covered, for at least 15 minutes before serving.
- To serve, take half of the mixture and puree in a mini food processor until smooth. Spoon the puree into a serving bowl and spread around the bottom of the bowl. Top with the remaining chunky pepper-feta mixture. Garnish with thyme.
- Cover any remaining htipiti and refrigerate for up to a week.
Read our review of Zaytinya
Images © 2024 by Thomas Schauer. Courtesy of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.Text © From Zaytinya by José Andrés. Copyright © 2024 by José Andrés Media. Excerpted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
