makes about 3 cups (720 ml)
Having grown up in New York, with the world of international ingredients at my fingertips, I often cast a blind eye to tradition in order to embrace a little fun and experimentation. Here is a rendition of a pretty classic Greek dip, spicy whipped feta, not unlike the one here. It is also sometimes called tyrokafteri. The heat comes from Mexican peppers.
1 garlic clove
1 slim fresh chile, such as árbol, seeded and chopped
1 to 3 pickled jalapeños, drained, seeded, and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotles in adobo sauce
½ cup (25 g) chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups (450 g) crumbled Greek feta
½ to ⅔ cup (120 to 160 ml) extra-virgin Greek olive oil
Grated zest of 1 small lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Pita chips, store-bought or homemade (here)
Place the garlic clove, chile, pickled jalapeños, and chipotles in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to a paste. Add the cilantro and pulse to combine.
Add the feta. With the motor running, steadily stream in enough of the olive oil to make a smooth, spreadable paste. Add the lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and black pepper to taste. Pulse to combine, taste, and adjust the texture and flavor with the remaining olive oil and/or lemon juice. Serve as a dip with pita chips.
You can use ktipiti (whipped feta) as a dip, but you can also use it to stuff long green peppers for baking, or even as a topping for broiled fish or chicken. It’s great between slices of cooked beet, or as a dip for crispy fried potatoes. You can thin and warm the ktipiti with a little cream as well and serve it with a piece of grilled steak.
To stuff peppers: Add ½ cup (50 g) plain dried bread crumbs to the ktipiti mixture. Remove the crowns from 6 to 8 long green peppers; set the crowns aside. Carefully remove as many of their seeds as possible without tearing the peppers (a long, dull butter knife does the trick). Using your thumb, press as much of the cheese mixture as possible into each hollowed-out pepper, leaving about ½ inch (1.5 cm) from the top unfilled. Place the crown inside each pepper opening, stem-side in. Place the stuffed peppers in an oiled pan, drizzle with olive oil, and bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven until tender but al dente and lightly charred. Serve hot.
As a topping for fish such as salmon or sea bass, or for chicken: Add 1 large egg, ½ cup (50 g) plain dried bread crumbs, and ⅔ cup (35 g) chopped fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, and oregano to the mixture. Season the fish or chicken with salt and black pepper and brush it with olive oil and a little mustard, if desired. Press a few tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto the surface of each piece of fish or chicken and bake until done. If desired, switch the oven to broil for a few minutes just before removing the fish or chicken from the oven to get some color on the cheese crust.
