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Girit ezmesi
Girit ezmesi: Alaçatı's 'Cretan' feta, walnut and herb meze
Girit ezmesi takes its name from the Cretan Muslims who settled in Alaçatı and Çeşme a century ago, and it is still a fixture of every meze table in those whitewashed streets. Soft white cheese is mashed with olive oil, walnuts, garlic, plenty of herbs and a dusting of hot pepper into a rough, salty spread that begs for warm bread. Feta and beyaz peynir are often made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian one if you need to. Chef's tip: mash by hand with a fork rather than blending; it should stay textured, with visible pieces of walnut and herb.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Crumble 9 oz feta or beyaz peynir into a bowl with 3 ½ oz lor or ricotta and mash with a fork, adding half the 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, until creamy but still a little lumpy.
Step 2: Stir in 2 ⅛ oz walnuts, 1 clove garlic, ½ oz flat-leaf parsley, ⅓ oz dill and 1 tsp dried mint. Common mistake: using a blender; it turns the walnuts to paste and the spread grey.
Step 3: Pile into a shallow bowl, make a hollow with the back of a spoon, fill with the rest of the 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and dust with 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper flakes). Serve with warm bread; it keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does girit ezmesi take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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 walnuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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