Sesame and thyme-crusted feta with honey and lemon

This is my homage to the incredible feta served at Oikos, one of my favourite Wellington restaurants. If you need it to be gluten-free, choose GF breadcrumbs or omit them entirely.

TIP: If last-minute frying makes you anxious, you can cook the feta ahead of time, then cool and chill. Reheat in a 180C oven for 10-15 minutes, until piping hot.

Ingredients

200 g	Feta, cut into 5-6 batons (Main)
4 Tbsp	Dried breadcrumbs
¾ tsp	Dried thyme (Main)
1	Egg
⅔ cup	Sesame seeds (Main)
1 ½ Tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp	Liquid honey (Main)
½	Lemons, freshly squeezed juice (Main)

Directions

1. Set up a dipping production line: Mix the breadcrumbs and thyme together in a shallow bowl, lightly whisk the egg in another bowl and tip the sesame seeds into a third bowl.
2. Coat each piece of feta in the breadcrumb mixture, then dip in the egg. Gently roll in the sesame seeds, making sure that you remember the ends. Set aside.
3. Set a small, heavy pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. When it's hot, gently place the sesame-coated feta batons in the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes each side, until golden brown all over. Drizzle over the honey and cook for another minute or two, turning the feta to coat. Remove the feta to a waiting plate. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan to deglaze it, stirring to scrape up all the sticky bits. Let this bubble for half a minute, then drizzle over the feta. Serve immediately.

See more of Lucy's cheesey recipes

• Three-cheese rolls
• Blue cheese clouds with crisp oat crumble