Featured Recipe

Garlic Herb Cheese Dip

Name: Garlic Herb Cheese Dip
Prep time: 6 min
Total time: 6 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 5 garlic cloves crushed or finely minced; 1 1/4 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese; Pinch flaky sea salt; Freshly cracked black pepper to taste; 1 tsp red chili flakes (optional for heat); 1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil

By Kate

Created on 30 January 2026

Crushed garlic, aged Pecorino and flaky sea salt merged with cracked black pepper and red chili flakes. Olive oil poured over, enough to pool around the ingredients. Rustic, hearty dip ready in minutes. Perfume of garlic sharpens the olive oil, nutty cheese melts slightly on contact. Serve with crusty baguette or toasted sourdough. Substitutions: use Manchego for cheese or avocado oil for olive oil to change profile. Keep garlic raw—brutal heat kills flavor here. Timing? Whatever it takes to soften flavors and serve immediately.

Prep: 6 min

Cook: 0 min

Total: 6 min

Serves: 8 servings

dip appetizer Mediterranean cheese garlic

Introduction

Forget complicated dips. This mix demands few ingredients but sharp attention. Garlic crushed raw—the quickest way to release pungency. Pecorino replaces Parmesan for sharper salty punch; texture matters here—fine grate but not powder. Sea salt flakes add crunch and flavor bursts. Black pepper cracked fresh. Red chili flakes for a faint kick, bring that aroma. Olive oil poured slowly, merges with cheese and garlic oils, turns slightly cloudy with the interaction—a sight, scent that says ’eat me now’. Bread choice critical: dry crust, chewy inside, holds up to oil without turning soggy. No cook times, just sensory cues. Sharp garlic smell. Slightly softened cheese under oil sheen. Dip ready when mixture glistens, oil pools in corners but cheese still holds form. A few minutes prep. Eat while sharp and alive. Failure mode? Too much oil dilutes flavor; too little leaves dust dry mouthfeel.

Ingredients

5 garlic cloves crushed or finely minced

1 1/4 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Pinch flaky sea salt

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1 tsp red chili flakes (optional for heat)

1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil

About the ingredients

Garlic—fresh and high quality—not powdered or pre-minced. Crushing releases essential oils and pungency; don’t skip or substitute with roasted garlic—flavors flatten. Pecorino Romano chosen over Parmesan for sharper salty edge but Manchego or aged Asiago works fine, just expect flavor shift. Sea salt flakes preferable to granulated for texture and burst. Black pepper must be freshly cracked—pre-ground turns flat fast. Added red chili flakes optional but recommended for subtle heat and visual contrast. Olive oil extra virgin best for aroma; avocado oil a good neutral substitute if olive oil too overpowering or in a pinch. Keep quantities balanced—too much cheese makes dip dry, too much oil makes it greasy. Garlic quantity can be dialed back for milder flavor but expect less punch. Mix everything in shallow dish, spread out to avoid clumping.

Method

Snap garlic cloves, crush or mince finely. It must be fresh and pungent. Aroma should fill the air instantly.

Mix Pecorino Romano cheese with crushed garlic in a shallow saucer. Don’t dump it all at once — integrate gently to keep texture varied.

Add flaky sea salt, cracked black pepper, and scatter red chili flakes evenly. The salt flakes will catch light and add crunch — don’t skip.

Pour olive oil slowly on top. Watch the cheese absorb oil, soften. Not too much—just enough to pool slightly without drowning the mix.

Serve immediately with crusty bread: a bread with a crunchy crust, open crumb. Toast if stale but avoid soggy edges.

If you want, you can let it sit 3-5 minutes for flavors to mingle, but garlic rawness dimishes with time, so plan accordingly.

Technique Tips

Start with crushed garlic. Crushing, not chopping—crushing extracts juices and oils, packs flavor punch that slicing can’t match. Mix the cheese and garlic gently to avoid clumps but maintain texture contrast. Don’t pulverize the mix or you lose mouthfeel. Adding flaky salt last on top helps retain flakes, adding popping sensation when dipped. Incorporate pepper and chili flakes last for uneven heat distribution. Pour oil slowly and watch absorption; too fast and cheese pools separately, leaving oily patches. Take care to serve immediately. Bread should be at room temp or lightly toasted, but never wet or it ruins texture. If mixing in advance, refrigerate loosely covered but expect flavor dulling. If olive oil too bitter or harsh, try neutral oil or balance with lemon zest or fresh herbs for brightness. Common mistakes: too much garlic overpowering, oil drowning the mix, stale bread losing crunch. Tactile feedback best measure: dip should cling to bread, not drip off immediately.

Chef's Notes

💡 Use fresh garlic; crush, don't chop. Crushing unlocks oils, pungent aroma. Mix cheese gently with garlic. Keep textures varied. No mushy bits.
💡 Flaky sea salt adds crunch; don’t skip that. Sprinkle it on top; it brightens flavors. Fresh cracked pepper is key; pre-ground lacks pop.
💡 Pour olive oil slowly. Watch it absorb. Too fast means swimming cheese. Not good. Dip should cling, not drip off.
💡 Bread choice crucial. Sourdough or crunchy baguette. Stale bread? Toast it lightly; aim for texture. No sogginess. Wet bread ruins.
💡 Let flavors mingle 3-5 minutes. But keep garlic rawness in mind. Too long? Flavor dims. Always prepare to serve immediately.