I love making variations of goat cheese recipes for an appetizer. I really liked the warm goat cheese dip I posted about a year and a half ago (and incidentally is one of our most searched for recipes at 2S2C.) For Thanksgiving last year, I made another type of goat cheese appetizer to hold everyone over until the big dinner was ready. This goat cheese and basil oil recipe really wowed me- I could not stop eating it! I made it again last week and remembered why I liked it so much last November. Don’t be discouraged by the long list of directions- it’s fairly easy to make and the presentation is simple and beautiful.
Goat Cheese with Basil Oil
Author: m
Recipe type: Appetizer
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- For the goat cheese:
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup panko
- Freshly ground pepper
- 4 oz. semi-firm plain goat cheese
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ tsp. coarse salt, plus more to taste
- For the basil oil:
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Baguette slices, for serving
Instructions
- Combine the Parmesan, panko, and freshly ground pepper in a small bowl.
- Place the goat cheese in a second small bowl. Finely mince the garlic. Sprinkle the salt over the minced garlic and smash the mixture together with a fork until it forms a paste. Add the garlic paste to the bowl with the goat cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir the mixture together until smooth and well-blended. Form the goat cheese mixture into a round ball. Roll the ball in the Parmesan-panko mixture until well coated. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- To make the basil oil, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the basil to the pot and boil for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water. Blot the basil leaves with a towel to remove all of the excess water. Add the basil leaves and the garlic to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until finely minced. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the food processor running, add the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Continue processing until the mixture is well-blended. Strain the oil mixture through a fine mesh sieve onto a serving plate. Place the ball of goat cheese in the center of the basil oil. Serve with baguette slices.
Source: Parmesan-Crusted Goat Cheese with Basil Oil from Annie’s Eats
