Feta Cheese Dip (Greek Tirokafteri)

Spice things up with this simple and extra tasty Greek feta cheese dip! A very rustic, ethic Greek dish, great for every occasion. Tirokafteri is a cheese spread that is commonly eaten as part of a meze (appetizer)platter, or by itself, with warm crusted bread or pita bread. It can also be used as a substitute for a sauce for grilled meats, or as a dip for vegetables or even as a party snack. Prepare it for your friends as a great starter over a glass white wine and dig into it. Best part? It’s ready in only 10 minutes. Feta cheese can be very hard, especially if it is matured. However you want your dip to be silky smooth so you can dig in with a piece of crusty bread without too much effort! To achieve that creamy consistency you need to use some milk when mixing the feta and spices. Pour in a bit of milk at a time while mixing and notice the change in texture! Keep pouring a little at a time until the mix is nice and smooth. Don’t forget, when the dip is refrigerated it will harden up a bit so aim to go a bit smoother than you’d like it to be when serving. The milk will make it smooth but it will still have that characteristic feta cheese texture. If you want it to become completely silky smooth substitute the milk with a few Tbsp. yoghurt. The yogurt’s texture will break down the feta cheese and turn it to a deliciously smooth dip. One last thing to remember is after cooling it down in the fridge the feta cheese will drip out some of its salty water, forming a layer of liquid around the dip. Don’t worry, its absolutely normal! Just drain it out, give it a quick mix with a spoon, garnish with the chilies and olives and serve. Just remember that milk and yogurt neutralise the spice in the chilies. If you like your dip spicy, add a few more chilies. Depending on how hot they are it’s not uncommon to have to add up to 4-5 of them, including the seeds, to get the required spice. 1 pinch cayenne pepper will help and also add a nice reddish colour to your dip, warning your guests about its potency! Finally serve it with plenty of crusty bread as part of a meze (appetizer)cplatter. I’ve always loved eating this spicy feta cheese dip with some chips and traditional Greek meatballs! They are a match made in heaven!

3.5 oz feta cheese (300 g)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
full fat milk (150 mL)
2 red chilies, or more according to preference

Remove the stem and seeds from the pepper, and chop it finely. (If you have some extra time, roast or slightly fry the pepper before chopping).

Cut the feta cheese into cubes and place in a bowl, add the chopped pepper and begin mixing in a blender or stand mixer (food processor). Gradually add the vinegar and olive oil, whilst mixing at medium speed. Pour in the milk until the feta cheese dip has a silky smooth, creamy consistency. Pour in a little at a time and mix until the cheese dip is smooth.

If you prefer the dip to be a bit spicier you can add a couple of tsp. of cayenne pepper to taste. The milk and cheese require quite a lot of chilies to turn spicy as the milk neutralizes the spiciness in the chilies so don’t be afraid to add more if you want to.

Alternatively if you prefer your dip to be creamy and mild don’t add any chilies. If you want the sauce to be even creamier try adding a few Tbsp. yoghurt. This will make it even smoother than the milk! Pour the feta cheese dip (tyrokafteri) in a medium bowl and garnish with some chopped chilies and a couple of olives.

Store the feta cheese dip covered in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Makes 6-8 servings.