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Kopanisti
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Kopanisti

Peppery whipped cheese spread

On Mykonos and its neighbouring islands, cheesemakers once worked soft cheese by hand for weeks until it ripened into kopanisti, sharp, salty and peppery enough to prickle the tongue. On the island it is spread on barley rusks with a drizzle of oil as a meze with drinks before dinner. This home version beats feta with a little soft cheese, chilli and pepper, then leaves it in the fridge for two days to mellow and sharpen. Feta is traditionally made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian feta if you need to. Common mistake: blending it to a smooth purée; it should stay a little rough. Chef's tip: cover the surface with a thin layer of olive oil while it rests, so it doesn't dry out or pick up fridge flavours.

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Wagasi in tomato sauce

In the Borgou and Alibori country of northern Benin, Fulani women carry wagasi to market in basins: small, springy rounds of fresh cheese, often with a red rind coloured by sorghum leaves. Sliced, fried golden and simmered in tomato and pepper sauce, it is sold across Benin and eaten with rice, akassa or bread. Herders traditionally set the milk with sap from the Calotropis shrub; that sap is toxic, so never use it at home. This version sets pasteurised whole milk with vegetarian rennet, giving the same mild, squeaky, slightly chewy cheese; bought wagasi, or paneer as a vegetarian stand-in, lets you skip straight to the frying. Chef's tip: let the slices sit undisturbed in the hot oil until a crust forms; moved too soon, fresh cheese sticks and tears.

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Apricot preserve

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Djelbana (Algerian lamb and pea stew)

Spring markets in Algiers fill with sacks of fresh peas and violet artichokes, and that is the moment for djelbana, a light, pale stew of lamb, peas, artichoke hearts and potatoes cooked with onion, garlic and a little turmeric, finished with fresh coriander. Families serve it at lunch with plenty of bread to soak up the sauce; on meat-free days it is made the same way without the lamb. It tastes fresh, sweet and gently peppery rather than heavily spiced. Frozen peas and artichoke hearts are fine out of season. Chef's tip: add the peas only for the last 10 minutes; peas put in with the meat are the usual mistake and turn grey and mushy.

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