Goat Cheese Dip with Mediterranean flavours//Served on crunchy baquette
[Below: TikTok video of recipe.]
[Below: TikTok video of recipe used to make linguini.]
This goat cheese dip is something really special. I don’t believe that I have ever seen anything resembling it before, and it’s one of my favourite things. It has everything that I love in it, and is a true explosion of flavours. This is something that I will often make as an hors d’oeuvre for a dinner party with friends, or for holidays, including Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. It can also be used in pasta (as in the TikTok video above!), with vegetables, or with chicken. It would also make a fantastic addition to a sandwich or panini, replacing the cheese and sauce elements. I’m somebody who has a bit of trouble with the flavour of goat cheese, and effectively want to note for others like me that this is a great way to enjoy it, as the other ingredients are all powerful flavours, which truly succeed in mellowing out the sharpness of the goat cheese. I don’t have much that I want to add (beyond the practical notes below), except to warn you that this dip can be very addictive indeed. You’ve been warned.
Recipe:
Makes 1 large serving plate (as pictured)
Notes
I specify the type of salt used, as different salts are more or less salty than others. If you don’t have the same kind of salt used, be mindful of this and adjust accordingly. Generally speaking, pink Himalayan salt is less salty than most others.
When I say packed, I mean PACKED! The ingredients should be pressed down to the max into the measuring cups. Be sure to pit and slice the olives before measuring.
This may seem like a lot of garlic—trust me on this. It makes this dip, and tastes sad without it.
Ditto for the 3/4 cup of olive oil. It may seem like a lot—and it is!—but the goat cheese will absorb much of it as it rests, and it mustn’t be dry. As well, the extra oil that will remain unabsorbed is necessary and desirable. Include some of this oil on each bite.
I spooned the dip onto the baguette to avoid creating a terribly unphotogenic image. But, in practice, use a knife and press all of the ingredients down onto the bread, essentially smashing it all together. Do pile it high, and be sure to get each element in every bite!
Do not make any substitutions or omissions. Each element is vital. The only thing that I sometimes do when I’m pressed for time is to use walnuts (chopped) in the place of pine nuts, if I am out of pine nuts and don’t have the time to run to the store. This said, if you are in a pinch, you may as well, but please make it with pine nuts if it’s your first time trying it! Or, at least, promise me to make it again, soon, with them.
You can use any variety of brown and green olives that you prefer. I always like to use good quality ones. I would simply avoid green olives stuffed with red pepper or anything other than garlic, if they are stuffed at all.
Ingredients
300 g soft unripened goat cheese
1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)
25 cracks black pepper
3 medium cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, packed (you will inevitably find a little oil at the bottom of your measuring cup; include this)
1/3 cup olives, sliced, both brown and green, but a greater ratio of brown, packed
1/4 cup capers, packed
1/3 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced, packed
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted until golden
Instructions
Crumble goat cheese onto a serving platter.
Sprinkle salt and crack pepper over the goat cheese.
Evenly disperse the remaining ingredients overtop, in layers, in the order that the ingredients are listed.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, to allow the flavours to meld and develop, before enjoying. It’s even better prepared a day in advance, or simply left overnight.
Serve cold, with a high-quality baguette, sliced. A proper French country loaf (pain de campagne) or sourdough loaf will do perfectly as well. Any nice bread, really, that is somewhat neutral in flavour will be wonderful. If you didn’t buy it freshly baked that day, be sure to heat it up (before slicing) in the oven. Do so at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes on one side, then flip it (bottom facing up), and bake for 3 more minutes on the other side. Let it cool down before cutting into it. This process will ensure that the crust is crispy. If you are not sure if your bread requires this step, squeeze it, and if it doesn’t make crackling noises, and the crust is soft, it needs it. I don’t toast the slices, as the soft middle is nice with this dip. See preamble for suggestions for other usages.
Enjoy!
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