Tirokafteri, aka Spicy Feta Dip
A taste of the Greek Isles that is a breeze to whip up. Literally. Whipped feta, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and red chilli pepper come together to make the perfect spicy dip.
Ingredients
- 1 long red chilli pepper, or 1 to 2 tbsp La Bomba antipasto
- 10 oz good Greek feta, or 280 grams
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
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Preheat a small skillet over medium heat.
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Add the chilli pepper and slowly blister it until the skin is softened but not charred in spots.
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Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
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Cut off the stem, and slice lengthwise in half. Remove the seeds. Roughly chop into 1/4 inch pieces.
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Add the chilli pepper pieces to a small food chopper or processor.
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Add the feta, and half of the yogurt, as well as the oil and lemon juice.
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Chop or grind until everything is blended well. There may be small chunks of pepper. Just make sure they aren't too large. Taste to see if you like it. It should be mostly smooth and creamy, but not too loose. If you find it is too stiff, add a bit more yogurt and blend again. In the end, make it as creamy or rustic as you desire.
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Transfer to a small serving bowl and cover with cling wrap.
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Chill. Before serving, remove to warm slightly. If too cold, the pita will have a harder time moving through the dip.
Recipe Notes
You can also blend by hand with a fork. This will create a more rustic texture. Just make sure to finely mince your pepper before blending with the rest of the ingredients.
Serve with pita, cucumber and radish slices, or even bread sticks or crackers. This works great as part of a small sweet pepper stuffing!
If you don't have a hot chilli pepper handy, you can use hot chilli oil to replace some of the olive oil. You can also use hot pepper antipasto spread- Just spoon out about a tbsp into the feta mixture to begin. Adjust heat from there.