Kismet's Marinated Feta Recipe - Los Angeles Times
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Kismet's Marinated Feta

Time 1 hour (including marinating time)
Yields Makes about 1 cup
A bowl of marinated feta cheese chunks
(Catherine Dzilenski / For The Times)
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No matter the pairing, our feta always starts with an infused oil. The flavors in this oil were inspired by a particular marinated goat cheese from an Australian producer, Meredith Dairy. Aromatic with toasty garlic, lemon zest and black pepper, when paired with creamy cheese, this is about as satisfying as it gets. You can make the feta oil weeks ahead and keep it in the fridge. We even recommend doubling or tripling the batch so you have it hanging around for whenever feta calls. It’s also handy to have on hand for other uses, like dressing salads and marinating vegetables.

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Infused Oil
Feta
1

Infuse the oil: In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, bay leaf, coriander and peppercorns. Heat gently over very low heat for 30 minutes to infuse, stirring occasionally to break up any clumps. (You want to avoid caramelization on the garlic, so if you need to turn the heat on and off to keep it from browning, do it.)

2

Strain the oil into a small container and discard the solids. Let the oil cool to room temperature.

3

Marinate the feta: In a small bowl, crumble the feta into large chunks. Cover the feta with the aromatic oil and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

It’s nice to use whole spices to infuse the oil and then strain them out. This way, you’ll get a clear end result as opposed to one flecked with aromatics — a trick to keep things pretty.
From “Kismet: Bright, Fresh, Vegetable-Loving Recipes” (Clarkson Potter) by Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson.
Make Ahead:
The marinated feta holds up to 1 week in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature at least an hour before serving — oil solidifies when it’s cold, and that’s not so pleasant on the palate.