Grilled Manouri with honey and sesame seeds

Manouri is a Greek cheese original from Central Macedonia region. It’s produced from the whey of sheep’s milk, sometimes combined with goat’s milk. Manouri is similar to the famous Feta, although it has a higher fat content, which makes it creamier in flavor, also leaving certain lemony notes on the palate. We can enjoy it in desserts, cakes, salads, or grilled on a mezze table.

The recipe itself is very basic: all you have to do is to grill the cheese for a few minutes on each side and serve the dish by adding honey and a handful of toasted sesame seeds on top.

However, there are some simple considerations that will make the difference and allow us to have a wonderful result:

1. Manouri is very a delicate cheese, so take care not to burn it. Ideally, it should be grilled on each side over a not too high fire.
2. It’s convenient to remove the cheese from the refrigerator some time in advance, in order to allow it to temper. In this way, it will be evenly cooked and won’t be cold in the center.
3. Sesame seeds should ideally be toasted. We can do it in a pan over very low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly and taking care not to burn them.
4. The combination of honey with cheeses like Feta, Myzithra, Halloumi, etc. is very common, and it also works wonderfully with Manouri. Any honey will be good in this dish: for example, you can go for the citrus touch of orange honey, the intense and less sweet flavor of chestnut honey, or the aromatic and intense detail of thyme.
5. It’s possible to replace the grill by baking the cheese for no more than 5 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees.
6. Grilled or roasted Manouri can also be served with other combinations, such as with zaatar and extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar cream and cherry tomatoes, in salads, etc.