A fun, festive and fiery dish worth every bit of drama. This flaming feta chese recipe, inspired by saganaki, is paired with a watermelon peach salad with basil, pistachios and honey. A fabulous summer recipe. Add blueberries for red, white, and blue flair.
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You'll Need:
1/2 C. seedless watermelon, diced
1 large peach, pitted and diced
1/8 C. blueberries (optional)
1 T. basil, chopped
1 T. balsamic glaze
6 oz. feta cheese (cut in 1/4" slices, not crumbled)
1/4 C. flour
1/4 C. avocado oil
1 fl oz. high proof liquor such brandy (we use Belle Isle honey habenero moonshine)
2 T. pistachios, shelled and chopped
1 T. hot honey
In a smal bowl, combine watermelon, peach, blueberries (optional), basil, and basalmic glaze. Set aside in refrigerator.
Rinse feta slices under cool water and pat dry with paper towel. Dredge in flour and set aside.
Heat a large saute pan and add avocado oil. Once oil is hot, add feta and once the underside is browned, flip over and let brown on the other. This takes less than a minute. Strain off any excess oil into a stainless steel bowl and discard once cooled.
** FOR FLAMING CHEESE: Remove pan from heat. KEEPING THE PAN FAR AWAY FROM THE FLAME, add the liquor, then place the pan safely back on the burner. The pan will ignite instantly upon contact with the flame so be very careful; the flame will subside once the liquor has fully burned off. Children should not do this. Do not store the liquor near the flame and make sure the stovetop is clear.
You can make this recipe skipping the flaming if you don't feel comfortable or prefer not to use alcohol. Once the cheese is fried, put it on a plate, top it with the fruit salad, sprinkle it with the pistachios and drizzle the honey over top.