Toasted Goat’s Cheese with Garlic Spinach
Another cheese on toast favourite is to bake the cheese in the oven and then dollop it on to crisp slices of toast. Goat’s cheese works especially well here
Serves 4
500g spinach
around 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed to a paste
sea salt and black pepper
2 x approx 150g medium-mature goat’s cheeses, eg Kidderton Ash
1 tbsp thyme leaves (optional)
a squeeze of lemon juice
8 thin slices of ciabatta
- Wash the spinach thoroughly in a sink of cold water. Shake the leaves dry and place them in a large saucepan, cramming them down to get it all in. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until the spinach has completely wilted, pressing it down halfway through.
- Drain into a sieve and press out as much liquid as possible. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the saucepan with the garlic over a medium heat, until it sizzles and turns fragrant, then add the spinach and some seasoning and stir to coat it.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7, and arrange the goat’s cheeses in a small baking dish. Scatter over the thyme if using, trickle a teaspoon of oil over each one and bake for 10 minutes until honeyed in patches. The cheese should retain its shape while being molten inside. Heat the spinach through and season with a squeeze of lemon. Toast the bread and serve with the cheese and spinach.