Herby Feta Cheese on Golden Potato Rostis

Goat’s Cheese with Sweet & Spicy Marmalade on Crispy Potato Beds

© Jack Montgomery

Sep 16, 2009

Good vegetarian meals often have more flavour than many dishes which involve meat and fish. When either meat or fish is the main ingredient, everything else is usually designed to compliment them. This isn’t the case with vegetarian cuisine where there often isn’t a star player as such. All the ingredients have an equally important part to play and have to work harmoniously as a team for the dish to be successful.

Because of this, more thought has to go into creating inspirational vegetarian dishes and an imaginative use of herbs and spices is an essential weapon in the vegetarian chef’s arsenal. Every so often a recipe turns up which exceeds expectations both in taste and in appearance and herby feta cheese on golden potato rostis is one of these dishes

It’s a classic example of what can be achieved by taking a handful of what are relatively inexpensive ingredients and presenting them in a fashion that would turn an expensive Kobe beef steak green with envy.

Part of the secret of the appeal of this dish is the romance between the salty, slightly sour feta cheese and the spicy sweet caramelized flavours of the marmalade. The crisp potato rosti pancakes acts almost as a neutral flavoured bed for the other ingredients whilst the herb and olive oil dressing behaves as the matchmaker which brings the whole ensemble together.

This is a recipe which is perfect for a special candlelit meal for two. It’s guaranteed to impress in the looks department and as for its taste… think Meg Ryan in that famous delicatessen scene in ‘When Harry Met Sally’.

Ingredients for Herby Feta Cheese on Golden Potato Rostis

For the Herby Feta Cheese

• 250g block of Feta cut into four equal slices
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 75ml olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 4 sun dried tomatoes

For the Golden Potato Rostis

• 1 large (or 2 medium) potato, peeled and grated
• ½ medium onion, grated
• 1 lightly beaten egg
• 25g plain flour
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt
• Pepper

For the Sweet & Spicy Marmalade

• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 6 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 50g sugar

For two people

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Preparation for Herby Feta Cheese on Golden Potato Rostis

Sweet & Spicy Marmalade

1. Heat the butter in a saucepan, add onions and cook gently for 5 minutes until they are soft. Add the red wine vinegar and sugar, turn the heat to low and cook for 25 minutes.
2. Mix in the chopped red chillies and cook for a further 5 minutes until the mixture is dark reddish with an almost caramelized texture.

Golden Potato Rostis

1. Whilst the sweet and spicy marmalade is cooking, squeeze as much moisture out of the grated potato as possible (it doesn’t matter if it still retains some moisture). Pat dry with kitchen paper and place the potato in a bowl with the grated onion, beaten egg and flour and a dash of salt and pepper.
2. Mix well until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined and separate into four roughly equal balls in the bowl.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and, using a dessert spoon, place two of the potato rosti balls in the pan. Flatten the balls with the back of the spoon until they are circular shaped.
4. Fry on each side for 3 minutes until golden brown.
5. Remove the rostis from the pan, dry on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven. Repeat the procedure with the remaining two balls.

Herby Feta Cheese

1. The olive oil and herb dressing can be made in advance of the cooking.
2. Simply add the olive oil, herbs, garlic, thyme and a dash of salt and pepper to a jug and mix.
3. Pre-heat the grill and about five minutes before the sweet & spicy marmalade Is ready, place the four herb slices on a baking tray and drizzle some of the herby dressing over the top.
4. Place under the grill and cook for no more than 3 minutes – the cheese should only just be beginning to melt. Any longer and it will turn to mush and ruin the appearance of the dish.
5. Place the potato rostis on a plate. Spoon some sweet and spicy marmalade onto them, carefully place a slice of herby feta on top and drizzle the remaining herby dressing over the dish.
6. For a finishing touch, place a sun dried tomato on top of each slice of herby feta.

Serve two rostis person for a main meal, or one as a starter.

Cooks Tip: lining the baking tray with aluminium foil makes cleaning up afterwards a little bit easier.

Frying Potato Rostis	Herby Feta
Golden Potato Rostis	Herby Feta on Potato Rostis

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