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Almogrote gomero
Goat cheese and red pepper spread
Almogrote gomero: La Gomera's spicy spread of aged goat cheese, garlic, red pepper and olive oil
On La Gomera, the small, steep island west of Tenerife, almogrote is the sharp, punchy paste you find spread on toast in every bar in San Sebastián and Valle Gran Rey, often with a glass of the island's wine. It was a thrifty way to use up hard, aged goat's cheese: grated, pounded with garlic, hot red pepper and a little tomato, and bound with olive oil. The result is salty, spicy and pungent. Traditional Gomeran cheese is made with animal rennet; use a vegetarian aged goat's or hard cheese if that matters to you. Chef's tip: grate the cheese very finely first, so it pounds smooth instead of staying gritty.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 9 oz aged hard goat's cheese (vegetarian if you like)rind removed, finely grated
- 3 cloves garlicpeeled
- 1 dried hot red pepper (or 1 tsp chilli flakes)seeded, soaked 20 minutes
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 small ripe tomatopeeled and seeded
- ½ cup olive oil
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Pound the 3 cloves garlic and drained 1 dried hot red pepper (or 1 tsp chilli flakes) in a mortar to a paste.
3 minStep 2: Add the 1 small ripe tomato and 1 tsp sweet paprika and pound until smooth.
2 minStep 3: Add the 9 oz aged hard goat's cheese (vegetarian if you like) a little at a time, pounding and drizzling in the ½ cup olive oil as you go, until you have a thick, spreadable orange paste. A food processor works too. A common mistake is pouring in all the oil at once; it then separates instead of binding with the cheese.
8 minStep 4: Spoon into a jar, smooth the top and cover with a thin layer of oil. Keep in the fridge for up to a week and serve at room temperature on toasted bread (gluten-free bread if needed).
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does almogrote gomero take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of dried hot red pepper (or 1 tsp chilli flakes)?
- Any colour of bell pepper, same amount.
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