Feta Cheese Straws with Turkish Chili
A spicy twist on the Southern cheese straw.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup flour plus more for rolling
- 7 ounces feta chilled and roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter chilled and roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Turkish red chili flakes
- 1 heaping tablespoon crème fraîche or sour cream, chilled
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processer, combine the flour, feta, butter, salt, and chili flakes. Pulse briefly—about 6 times—until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the crème fraîche and process for another 10 to 15 seconds, or until the mixture starts to clump together and form a ball.
- Transfer the cheese dough to a floured surface. Divide mixture in half and shape into rounds. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Using a floured rolling pin, roll one piece of dough into a large rectangle, about ¼-inch thick and up to 10 inches long. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into long, thin strips, about ½-inch wide. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
- Carefully transfer the strips to prepared baking sheet and bake for about 15 to 18 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Let the straws cool on the sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Best eaten within one day.
Notes
Adapted from New Feast: Modern Middle Eastern Vegetarian
Greg and Lucy Malouf
Born in Australia to Lebanese immigrants, Greg Malouf—co-author of the modern Middle Eastern cookbook New Feast with pastner Lucy Malouf—offers a modern view of Middle Eastern cooking at his Michelin star UK restaurant and at Clé Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Katherine Hysmith
Katherine was a social media intern for culture and a fan of all things Southern. Born and raised in Texas, Katherine recently moved up north to pursue a graduate degree in the Gastronomy Program at Boston University. When she's not researching for her Master's thesis or dreaming about jalapeno cheese poppers, Katherine writes on her own blog The Young Austinian ( http://www.youngaustinian.com/ ).
