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Feta in Herb,Garlic and Chilli Oil

Added by Allora Andiamo | Wed 28 Jan 2009 @ 12:03

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Ingredients
250g feta cheese
2 -3 cloves garlic
1-2 small red chillis
about 10 black olives
A few sprigs of thyme, whole
A few sprigs of oregano, whole
10 basil leaves, whole
Extra virgin olive oil (approx• 250-300ml)

Method
1) Pat the feta cheese dry and cut into cubes (about 1.5cms)
2) Slice the chill and garlic into thin slices.
3) Take a clean jar (i used a 500ml jar in the picture) and start by adding a
layer of cheese,some garlic, a couple of olives and some of the herbs.
4) Keep layering till the jar is completely full.
5) Pour over the olive oil, tapping the jar on the counter occasionally to get rid of
any bubbles that may have formed.
6) Fill with olive oil until the cheese and herbs are completely covered.
7) Seal the jars tightly and store in a cool, dark place for about 7 days to allow
flavours to develop.

You can also add sun dried tomatoes to the cheese if you like. I usually do, but i'd ran out of them.:rolleyes:

tried this recipe or a similar one? share your tips...

1. by Jonathan Bouchard on Sun 26 Feb 2012 @ 15:40

So what's the "verdict" you think; 1) boil your jars then oven them, 2) use dried herbs 3) put in fridge Then how long may we keep these babies you think?

2. by science on Wed 31 Aug 2011 @ 20:42

magical summer is right about botulism, but only for the garlic. All foods that grow in dirt i.e. potatoes, onions, garlic, etc, have the increased likelihood of having the botulism producing bacteria, which can thrive in a pure oil environment. If you search around google, you will see all the warnings against putting raw garlic cloves into oil for flavoring, as you must boil the garlic first, or use the oil that day, therefore giving the bacteria no time to produce the botulism toxin. See this FDA warning for more: http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/pickle.htm#anchorfdagarlicinoil "When raw garlic is stored in oil, Clostridium botulinum bacteria can grow. These mixtures must be refrigerated to slow bacterial growth. After 3 weeks of refrigeration, the increased number of bacteria will become a food safety hazard. Therefore, these mixtures should not be refrigerated longer than 3 weeks."

3. by zane on Thu 24 Mar 2011 @ 11:05

You could not be more wrong magicalsummer, this is a great way of preserving. Make sure you have a sterilized jar, (soak in hot boiling water then let dry in warm oven) and you will be fine. I make chutney and sauces this way and they are best used 1-2 years later.

4. by Vinnie on Fri 04 Mar 2011 @ 17:20

I dunno...can mold even grow on food that's completely immersed in oil...maybe...i'm no expert but...i have made this a number of times and it's turned out great every time. I make 2 1liter jars at a time and they last me 2 to 2-and-a-half months and i'm still fit and healthy...no botulism here. I do store the jars in the fridge...maybe that helps.Incidentally, only about 110 case of botulism occur in the US each year and the majority of them are infants so, unless you really cock this dish up, i reckon you'll be fine!

5. by Daniel S on Wed 15 Dec 2010 @ 18:12

I really want to do this recipe but have to agree with what magicalsummer says about botulism. I'm no expert; I've just come across this being said a lot on different sites. Most have said to use dried chillis and to first boil them in malt vinegar; really want to do it but worried about killing people :/

6. by magicalsummer on Sun 28 Nov 2010 @ 17:03

sounds and looks delicious, but i'm wondering about food safety issues.

u've put in all fresh ingredients in the oil; the moisture in it will cause mold to grow, and there's a very real danger of botulism poisoning which incidentally can kill you, and if it doesn't, can have long term effects you don't even want to think about!

as far as i know, it's always safer to use dried ingredients in flavoured oils. do correct me if i am wrong.

7. by Sebastian on Thu 17 Dec 2009 @ 14:48

Hi watch you do a similar version of this feta cheese on tv a few days back. I thought to myself this would prove an awesome Christmas gift to my mother.

How long would you say the cheese can be kept before it gets old?