Fried Feta Cheese With Honey And Sesame Seeds

Prep Time 10 min Cook time 10 min

This is a Greek speciality of fried feta cheese encrusted with sesame seeds served with honey.

Frying feta softens it slightly and gives it a fluffier, creamier consistency. Add to that a crunchy coat of lightly browned sesame seeds and a drizzle of honey and you have a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. Great as an appetizer or light lunch with a salad.

The recipe is simple but the choice of feta cheese is quite critical. I buy a brand called Dodoni. The feta cheese is in a brine solution that keeps it creamy and soft but firm enough to cut in chunks. You can also get feta in brine from most Middle Eastern grocery stores. Brands that sell feta in shrink wrapping may work but the cheese is usually drier and could crumble when you cut it.

Also, serve the dish warm as soon as you cook it because as it cools down, feta cheese loses its creamy texture and gets a little rubbery. You can do all the prep in advance and cook the coated feta at the last minute before serving.

What you need (as an appetizer for two)

About six 1″ square chunks of feta cheese
One egg
3 Tbs of plain flour
1/4 cup of sesame seeds (the recipe also works with dried breadcrumbs)
6 Tbsp olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of an 8 inch frying pan
Honey

What to do

Beat the egg in a small bowl and put the flour and sesame seeds in separate small plates.
Set up all your ingredients before you start
Cut the feta cheese in 1″ square chunks.
With small tongs ( or fingers) coat each chunk of cheese with egg, then flour, then another coating of egg and then dip in the sesame seeds. Set aside.
Cover the bottom of a frying with 6 tablespoons olive oil and heat over a medium to high heat.
Gently fry each chunk of cheese until the sesame seeds turn a golden brown about a minute each side. Keep checking till you get the toasted color you like.
Drain over kitchen towel and serve with a drizzle of honey.