Y’all. This stuff. It’s SO GOOD. Like, addictive good. The first time I ever had this dip was at Zaytinya – a fabulous Greek/Mediterranean restaurant in Washington DC. If you’re ever in DC, you should absolutely eat there! I love it – they serve tapas style, meaning smaller portions, so you can try several unique foods. It’s so fun and absolutely delicious! I eat there at least once each time I go to DC now. But that’s another post for another time.
Right now we need to talk about Htipiti. Htipiti (don’t ask me how to pronounce that!) is a Greek dip made of roasted red peppers and feta with some seasonings such as thyme, garlic, and shallots. It’s great served on pita bread or pita chips or on top of other vegetables like bell peppers or cucumber. The following recipe is from Zaytinya – read until the end to see a simple substitution I make to turn this recipe from a little overwhelming to super easy!
Htipiti
4 whole red peppers
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 dash white pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme, stems removed
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbledTo roast peppers: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place red peppers directly on oven racks (place foil on rack underneath to catch any drippings). Bake approximately 30 minutes, turning every 7 minutes or so. When the peppers are charred, remove from the oven carefully with tongs. Set the peppers aside and let them cool.
Mince garlic and shallots and place in a small mixing bowl. Combine with oil, vinegar, white pepper, and salt. Set aside.
Peel the charred skin from the outside of the peppers. Discard the peels, stems and seeds. Chop the peppers into small pieces.
Whisk the dressing to combine. Add the peppers, fresh thyme, and crumbled feta. Stir ingredients together and chill for 15 minutes before serving.
So it’s not too hard except for that whole roast-your-own-peppers thing. Which isn’t so much hard as it is messy and time-consuming. Here’s what you can do to really simplify this recipe – substitute two large, 16 ounce jars of canned roasted red peppers instead of the 4 fresh peppers. You’ll still have the delicious flavor of the original with a lot less work and mess!
So try it out next time you are looking for a fun new appetizer or dip and let me know what you think!
