Mezze dips (whipped chilli feta dip & melitzanosalata)

Melitzanosalata is a traditional Greek dip made of roasted or grilled smoky eggplant, often served with onion, herbs and lemon juice for flavour. Tyrokafteri (or spicy feta dip) is a Greek dip comprised of roasted capsicum, feta, chilli made speedily with the help of a blender or food processor. Serve these mezze dips with fresh crudités for dipping.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Stream free On Demand

The Mezze Table

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

Ingredients

• ½ bunch radishes, to serve
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced, to serve
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced, to serve
• 1 small bunch dutch carrots, trimmed, to serve

For the melitzanosalata

• 2 eggplants
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ½ cup roughly chopped dill
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced and finely zested
• 2 tbsp (40 ml) sherry vinegar
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Salt and black pepper

For the spicy feta dip

• 1 red capsicum
• 500 g feta
• 2 tsp chilli flakes
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Begin by making the melitzanosalata; prick the eggplants all over with a fork. Cook on an open flame or roast in a hot oven until tender. Cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop.
   
2. In a medium bowl, combine the eggplant with the remaining melitzanosalata ingredients and mix gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a small serving bowl.
   
3. To make the spicy feta dip, blister the capsicum on an open flame or roast in a hot oven until tender. Allow to cool, then peel off the skin and remove the seeds. Combine the capsicum with the remaining spicy feta dip ingredients in a blender or food processor and process to a thick paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then transfer to a second small serving bowl.
   
4. Serve the melitzanosalata and the spicy feta dip with the fresh vegetables on a large platter.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

The Mezze Table

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G