Whipped feta with Calabrian chilli-honey butter

Ingredients

• 200g feta
• 75g soured cream
• Zest and juice of ½ lemon
• 1 fat clove of garlic, crushed to a paste
• 1 tsp dried mint
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 40g butter
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 tbsp Calabrian chilli paste
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• ¾ tsp smoked salt

Method

Crumble the feta into a food processor, then add the cream, lemon zest, garlic, mint and black pepper. Blend for 1-2 mins, scraping down the sides, until whipped very smooth. Season with extra pepper if needed. Spoon into a serving bowl.

Next, heat the butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat for 2-3 mins until it just begins to turn golden brown.

Add the fennel seeds and sizzle for 45 seconds, before spooning in the Calabrian chilli paste, runny honey and smoked salt. Warm everything through for 1 min, mixing well. Add the lemon juice to finish.

Drizzle the warm Calabrian chilli butter over the whipped feta. Serve with toasted pittas, corn tortilla chips, radishes or crudites.

Image: Patricia Niven

Recipe from Flavour Heroes by Gurdeep Loyal (Quadrille Publishing)