Feta & thyme honey devils on horseback

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves, very finely chopped
• 12 large medjool dates, destoned
• 50g walnuts, finely chopped
• 100g feta
• 12 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

Method

Heat the oven to 210C. Add the runny honey to a small saucepan, along with a pinch of fine salt, the lemon zest and thyme. Warm over a medium heat for 2 mins, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 5 mins.

Cut a slit along the length of the first date. Brush the inside liberally with the thyme honey, then sprinkle in some of chopped walnut. Stuff fully with a piece of feta, then encase with the sides of the date.

Brush over a little more of the honey, then wrap with a rasher of streaky bacon. Use a large cocktail stick to pierce through the centre of the date, securing everything together. Place on a lined baking sheet. Repeat until you have 12 feta-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates, spaced well apart on the tray.

Bake for 16-18 mins, turning every 5 mins, until the bacon is cooked through and slightly crispy and the feta is starting to ooze from the sides.

Place on a serving plate, drizzle over more of the thyme honey and enjoy with drinks – be careful, they’ll be hot inside if served straight from the oven.

Image: Stuart Ovenden