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Lemony Whipped Feta With Charred Scallions
![Lemony Whipped Feta With Charred Scallions](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/06/01/dining/whiipped-feta-thumb/16-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1½lemons, plus more to taste
- 1bunch scallions, trimmed and halved crosswise
- ⅓cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 10ounces feta cheese, broken into large pieces (about 2½ to 3 cups)
- 4ounces cream cheese, at room temperature, or heavy cream
- ¼teaspoon black pepper, plus more for garnish
- ¼teaspoon cayenne, plus more for garnish
- 1tablespoon hot water
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the broiler and line a sheet pan with foil. Juice 1 whole lemon to get 3 tablespoons juice and set aside. Cut the remaining ½ lemon into 3 to 4 thin slices.
- Step 2
In a medium bowl, toss together the lemon slices, scallions and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place on sheet pan and broil until blackened, tossing occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes for the scallions and about another 5 minutes for the lemon slices. Transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly.
- Step 3
In a food processor, add the feta, cream cheese, remaining ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, reserved lemon juice, black pepper, cayenne and hot water. Purée until very smooth, then add almost all of the scallions (save 1 or 2 pieces and chop roughly for a garnish). Pulse to combine, leaving some chunky scallion pieces. Taste for lemon, adjusting as needed.
- Step 4
Transfer to a bowl, then garnish with charred lemon slices, the reserved scallion, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne.
- This dip is airiest and lightest the day it’s made. If you make it 1 or 2 days in advance, store it in the refrigerator, then let it come to room temperature and give it a good stir before serving.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Took it to a party and was very popular - the dip was, too.
The disconnect between the descriptions of how the scallions are blackened in the introductory paragraph and then in the recipe itself seems a bit odd ...
Made as directed and it was delicious! I found the scallion flavor intensified quite a bit after the dip had sat in the fridge for a couple hours, which was great because the original result wasn’t quite as flavorful as I’d hoped. Served with pita chips at a party, then ate the leftovers the next morning on toasted crusty bread with tomatoes, arugula, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and dill. Will remember for future parties!
This is the dip that will make the rounds with me to all of my holiday parties. I added 1/4 preserved lemon finely diced and it was a crowd favourite. I’ll be increasing the charred scallions next time as those morsels really stood out. Yumm.
In the Middle East, similar appetizers are made using Greek yogurt ( yogurt strained in cheese cloth for a couple of hours) instead of cream cheese. Gives a tangy flavor. That’s why the recipe has lemon juice I guess.
1. Keeper. Made as written in morning of event day & refrigerated until @ 1 hr B4 service. Texture just right. 2. I sliced lemons very thin for 2 benefits. a) They'll char at same time as scallions. b) Tucked in across the spread they are easy to spoon out with the spread & delicious to eat. 3. Labneh, Fromage Blanc or Greek Yogurt can sub for cream cheese - will be more 'tang' & lighter texture if so. 4. See NYT Cooking demo video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=galpmZHzwIs
Please read all the words. Do not add the charred lemon to the food processor. and if you do, don't say you didn't like it. Made this to recipe with the only change being I added a few lightly chopped garlic cloves to the oven mixture. Was excellent. Hey NYT Cooking - where's the android app for this?
In the video for this they drizzle honey over it at the end. I think that makes a big difference and I would highly suggest adding that. The sweetness really mellows it out
Made this twice - first time it was too lemony, second time perfect. The difference was the feta, which I bought from 2 different stores. A mild feta is overpowered by 3 Tbs fresh lemon juice, but a more flavorful cheese can easily stand up. I suggest starting with 2 Tbs lemon juice and then adding as needed
Added a bit of fresh lemon zest to the whole thing, only upped the deliciousness factor.
Anyone know if I could make this using an immersion blender? I don't have a food processor.
This would be great on top of tiny, multi-color new potatoes, halved, tossed with olive oil and kosher salt, and roasted until golden.
I made this following the instructions exactly, though I found I had to leave the scallions in the oven considerably longer than the recipe said. I’m glad I did, because the lemon and the burnt-crispy scallions are what make this dip. I wasn’t sure if my picky husband would like it (he made me promise not to get mad if he didn’t like it) but he loved it! Next time, I might add some lightly toasted, chopped pecans.
I have been looking for a recipe to replicate a hot feta cheese dip I ate at a restaurant in Kalamazoo, Mich., four years ago. This recipe seemed almost perfect. So I made it with a few modifications: I omitted the lemon slices and scallions step. I did not puree this, but mixed it thoroughly. And then I put it in a small casserole dish and backed it. It was delicious. I usually hate it when people change the recipe before even trying it. But this was like finding a treasure I'd searched for.
The dip delicious with and without the honey . Make sure you get Bulgarian cow feta cheese it’s the best feta cheese . Also you can eat the charred lemons they are very tasty with the dip .
This recipe has issues. I am an experienced cook. I recommend that you know your broiler well. The onions smoked & sent off a spark in <4 minutes, & the house is smelling like burnt toast. While the dip is delicious, I think I could do a blind tasting & no one would notice the difference between the feta dip recipe & Lipton onion soup mix in sour cream (or crème fraiche) Especially if I add chopped green onions & fresh lemon juice. Charring the onions and lemon on a gas grill might be an option
I used a “Mediterranean style” feta packed in brine but it was a very hard solid block and didn’t whip! The dip has pretty good flavor but it’s grainy. Ah well, next time the host will ask me to bring wine!
I made just the whipped feta, omitting the scallions as a topping for grilled bread with garlic scapes pesto. I found that the feta didn't truly smooth out until the lemon juice was in there. A wonderful simple spread to add some creaminess to a dish.
Made this for a colleague's baby shower, huge hit! Absolutely no notes, this is delicious - the lemony flavor cuts the rich cheese perfectly.
I made this as the recipe stated & thought it was pretty 'meh'. I had to doctor it & gleaned suggestions by other & added double the scallions, a garlic glove & some honey. Then it was very good. The flavors developed during refridgeration so suggest letting it sit for a couple of hours before serving.
Make sure you process the feta enough initially. I wasn't careful, it looked done, but I should have tested. First time I made a whipped feta it was creamy - this one was grainy. My fault. And watch that broiler!
I drizzled with hot honey for a little kick. Delish!
Fabulous, easy always gets raves and is eaten up!
There’s not a lot of scallion flavor so I’d add more than recipe calls if you want to taste them. It’s delicious, better served room temp and it’s so creamy. Such a delicious dip for a summer gathering outdoors, with crostini or pita chips. I used a dash of lemon olive oil in place of regular and it was perfection.
Very easy to burn the scallions. Buy extra scallions just in case. Not sure broiled lemons are worth the bother. Otherwise, excellent recipe. Made as written. Try adding some finely chopped preserved lemon next time.
I don’t know if it was the wintertime green onions that weren’t as pungent or the locally made feta cheese, but this dip just wasn’t very flavorful. I even roasted 2 big garlic cloves with the onions, but it was still meh.
It was slightly bitter so i added a little drizzle of honey to balance it out, and it was a success. My guests loved it!
I followed this but with 4 oz of heavy cream and it did not come out great. Way too liquidy
I doubled the amount . With the extra amount , about 1 cup, i added 2 eggs and 1 cup of heavy cream 1/2 cup blanched , squeeze drained spinach . Gave it a couple of light wizzes in the processor and baked it in a blind baked puff pastry flan crust with some sliced cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of nigella seeds , for about 1/2 hour . My new favourite Quiche .
To make it lighter I mixed Feta with labneh and some yogurt, instead of the cream cheese. It was amazing.
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