Equipment
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 200 g feta cheese, whole block
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 30 g honey
- 5 g za'atar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 243 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 10 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 571 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 45 mg
- Potassium
- 68 mg
- Calcium
- 259 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 22 mg
- Phosphorus
- 195 mg
- Zinc
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 63 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.44 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 24 mcg
- Water
- 29 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200C (400F).
Pat the feta cheese block dry with a paper towel and place it in the center of the small cast-iron skillet. Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the top of the cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the feta is visibly softened, puffed slightly, and golden around the edges.
While the cheese bakes, use a chef's knife and cutting board to roughly chop the walnuts.
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Scatter the chopped walnuts directly over and around the warm feta.
Drizzle the honey generously over the cheese and nuts, then sprinkle the za'atar evenly across the top.
Serve immediately straight from the skillet alongside crusty bread, toasted pita, or sturdy crackers.
Chef's Notes
- Sheep milk feta is essential here. It has a higher fat content and different protein structure than cow milk feta, allowing it to soften beautifully in the oven without losing its shape.
- If your honey has crystallized in the pantry, microwave it in 5-second bursts until it becomes liquid enough to drizzle cleanly.
- For extra caramelization, you can switch the oven to broil for the final 2 minutes of baking, but watch closely to prevent burning the cheese.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The cheese will firm up significantly when chilled.
Reheating: Reheat in a 180C oven for 8 to 10 minutes until warmed through and soft.
Troubleshooting
Feta melts into a complete puddle
Cause: Using cow milk feta or a low-fat variety, which lacks the structural integrity of full-fat sheep milk feta.
Fix: Cannot be fixed structurally, but still tastes delicious. Serve as a warm dip rather than a solid block.
Prevention: Always source authentic Greek sheep milk feta in a solid block, avoiding pre-crumbled or low-fat versions.
Nuts become burnt and bitter
Cause: Adding the nuts before baking rather than after.
Fix: Pick off the burnt nuts before adding the honey and za'atar, replacing with fresh ones.
Prevention: Always add delicate nuts and seeds after the high-heat baking process is complete.
Cultural Context
Inspired by the traditional Greek meze called saganaki, which traditionally features firm cheeses like graviera or kefalograviera pan-fried until bubbling. This variation bakes feta instead, marrying it with the Middle Eastern staple za'atar for a beautiful cross-cultural Mediterranean flavor profile.
