Name: Marinated Manchego
Total time: 1 d 35 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra as needed; 8 garlic cloves , smashed and peeled; 6 (3-inch) strips orange zest; 8 sprigs fresh thyme; 3 bay leaves; ½ teaspoon table salt; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 8 ounces Manchego cheese , cut into rough ¾-inch cubes

Why This Recipe Works

Marinated Manchego is great to serve as an appetizer, and you get the added bonus of making an infused oil that can be used in a salad dressing or for sautéing vegetables. To make it, we gently heated garlic, orange zest, thyme, bay leaves, and pepper flakes in oil. The garlic softened slightly and infused the oil with nutty-sweet flavor. Once the mixture cooled, we poured it over the Manchego and allowed the cheese to marinate in that deeply flavored oil.

Before You Begin

Use a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil here. Remove the strips of orange zest with a vegetable peeler. Serve the cheese with crusty bread as an appetizer or use it in a salad. You can use the marinated oil in a salad dressing or serve it with bread for dipping.

Instructions

Combine oil, garlic, orange zest, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, salt, and pepper flakes in small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until garlic begins to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool completely.

Place Manchego in 16-ounce jar with tight-fitting lid. Using tongs or fork, transfer garlic, orange zest, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to jar with Manchego. Pour oil mixture over Manchego to cover, pressing down cheese as needed to submerge it. If needed, add extra oil to cover cheese. Affix jar lid and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 1 week. Let come to room temperature before serving.