For our almost-annual holiday party this year, I wanted to add in a few new dishes to the mix. As I assembled my requisite Pinterest board for the occasion, I noticed that I was staying within my comfort zone though with new recipes – lots of dips and cheese-based snacks. Oh well, go with what you know!
Albeit not a major deviation from parties past, my favorite new selection of the year was definitely the insanely simple Tyrokafteri dip from Serious Eats. This very spicy dip, from fresh roasted peppers and feta, kept my guests glued to our food table!
This dip can be made ahead of time, and largely requires blending ingredients in a food processor. What gives the dip its fantastic spice are roasted hot red peppers, which are broiled at home.
I can't usually find cherry peppers at this time of year in our grocery store, so I picked up a packet of the anonymous "long hot red peppers." While I am not sure about the variety of chiles these are (fresno, Anaheim, red serranos?), the packet I got were incredibly spicy so I ended up using approx. 1/4 pound for this dip instead of the 3/4 pound called for in the recipe. That 1/4 pound may have even been too much for those who are not experienced spice eaters.
After broiling the peppers on each side, place them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to steam for 10 – 15 minutes. Then peel the skins off the peppers, and deseed them. From my hatch chile roasting effort, I use plastic gloves for this part to make sure my hands aren't weapons of spicy destruction after!
Then simply process with your feta (I just used supermarket feta crumbles), lemon juice, olive oil, and Greek yogurt. You are good to start serving right after the dip is blended together or from the fridge!
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