Goat Cheese with Honey Roasted Grapes
This marinated cheese is a dinner party stunner or doubles as a light early fall dinner when served with an arugula salad and thick slices of bread.
Ingredients
4 oz fresh goat cheese
1/2 tsp aleppo pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp herbes de provence (optional)
1 lemon, zest peeled in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups high quality grapes, stems removed (feel free to substitute blackberries or peeled ground cherries as desired)
1/4 cup Granor honey
1/4 cup dry red or white wine
Method
- In a small, shallow bowl place the goat cheese in the center and sprinkle with the aleppo pepper and dried herbes if using
- Lay the lemon zest on top and heat the olive oil in a microwave for 15 seconds until just warm
- Pour the olive oil all over the top of the cheese and let rest 10 minutes
- Meanwhile, heat a large stainless steel frying pan over high heat until smoking
- Add a glug of neutral oil and swirl to evenly coat before adding the grapes
- Allow the grapes to roast undisturbed until they begin to blister and pop
- Swirl the pan to rotate the grapes, then reduce the heat to medium
- Add the honey and let it melt and thicken slightly, about 2 minutes
- Add the wine (be careful it will spit and sputter) and then return to the heat to reduce into a thick sauce
- Pour the grapes and the honey sauce over the cheese and serve
