Barrel-Aged Feta Slab with Olive Oil, Oregano and Warm Pita

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The Greek taverna move that costs eight dollars and takes four minutes: one thick, cold slab of barrel-aged sheep's milk feta, a heavy pour of good oloil oil, dried oregano crushed between your palms, and pita blistered straight over the burner. There is almost no technique here, which means the whole dish lives or dies on what you buy — so this recipe is really a shopping list with a plating diagram attached.

Ingredients

• 8 oz barrel-aged Greek feta in brine, in one piece (sheep's milk, or sheep-and-goat)

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, the best bottle you own
• 1 tsp dried Greek oregano, preferably on the branch
• 1/4 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 strips lemon zest, plus 2 lemon wedges
• 6 Kalamata or Halkidiki olives, unpitted
• 1 small ripe tomato, cut into thick wedges (optional, summer only)

• 4 thick pocketless pita or Greek flatbread
• 2 tsp olive oil, for brushing
• flaky sea salt, for the pita

Instructions

1. Shop first, cook second. At the cheese counter, ask for feta cut from a barrel or a brine-filled tub — look for Greek PDO feta made from sheep's milk or a sheep-goat blend. Have them cut you a single 8-ounce piece about 1 inch thick rather than crumbles or a shrink-wrapped block, and ask for a splash of brine in the container. Vacuum-packed cow's milk 'feta-style' cheese will be squeaky and one-dimensional here; this dish has nowhere to hide it.
2. Up to 3 days ahead, keep the feta submerged in its brine in the fridge. Thirty minutes before serving, lift the slab out, blot it dry on both sides with paper towels, and let it sit on the counter — feta straight from the fridge tastes muted and chalky, while feta at cool room temperature turns creamy and tastes salty-tangy-milky all at once.
3. Taste a corner of the feta. If it is aggressively salty, soak the whole slab in cool water for 10 to 15 minutes, then blot dry. If it is mild and creamy, do nothing.
4. Warm the pita. Set a dry cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Brush each pita lightly with olive oil on one side and lay it oiled-side down for 60 to 90 seconds, until brown blisters appear, then flip for another 45 to 60 seconds. Stack the finished breads in a clean kitchen towel to steam and stay soft. Alternatively, hold each pita with tongs directly over a gas burner on medium for 20 to 30 seconds per side. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
5. Place the feta slab, whole and uncut, slightly off-center on a small shallow plate or in a wide, low bowl. Do not crumble it. The single thick slab is the point — guests break off craggy pieces with the bread, and the ragged edges catch more oil than a tidy dice ever would.
6. Crush the dried oregano between your palms directly over the cheese, letting the friction and warmth of your hands release the oil — this is the difference between oregano that smells like dust and oregano that smells like a hillside. Add the cracked pepper and the red pepper flakes, if using.
7. Pour the 3 tablespoons of olive oil slowly over and around the slab so it pools on the plate; you want enough that the last bite of pita can mop the bottom. Tuck the olives, lemon zest strips, lemon wedges and tomato wedges alongside, and serve immediately with the warm pita, encouraging everyone to squeeze lemon over their own portion.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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