Whipped Feta with Sweet and Hot Peppers Recipe
Adapted from "Spice" by Ana Sortun
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This brightly colored dip from the chef-owner of Oleana in Massachusetts goes well with crackers, flatbread, and crudités.
What to buy: You can buy Aleppo chile flakes and crushed Urfa chile at Middle Eastern grocers or online at Juliet Mae or Whole Spice.
Game plan: If you have a gas stove, here’s a video on How to Roast and Skin a Red Pepper.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium red bell peppers, stemmed, halved lengthwise, and seeds and white pith removed
- 1 pound feta cheese, drained and broken into coarse 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons Aleppo chile flakes, plus a pinch for garnish
- 1 teaspoon crushed Urfa chile, plus a pinch for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika, a.k.a. pimenton, plus a pinch for garnish
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the broiler to high and arrange a rack in the middle. Place peppers on a baking sheet, cut side down, and broil until blackened and charred, about 15 minutes, rotating the pan as necessary.
- Transfer peppers to a medium bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove peppers from the bowl, discard any liquid, and wipe out the bowl. Peel the peppers (discarding the skin), coarsely chop, and return to the bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix until the sweet and hot peppers coat the cheese.
- In a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, purée the mixture for about 2 minutes, until very smooth and creamy. (The mixture will be quite loose.) Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the dip to set.
- Place the mixture in a serving bowl and sprinkle it with a pinch each of Aleppo chile, Urfa chile, and paprika.
When I first read the title of the rice I thought, "huh."
The Urfa (Isot) is a crushed dried chile from Urfa, Turkey, similar to aleppo but with a bit more bite. It's sun dried and sweated at night; that process gives it a earthy flavor, smoky aroma and moderate heat level. I don't think you'll find it at Stop & Shop, but WF or you favorite online spice vendor may have it.
I can't say if you truly need it for this starter. Not terribly expensive, it has othe uses, like anywhere you would use crushed red pepper or Aleppo.