Moroccan · Breakfast
Fresh Goat Cheese & Honey Breakfast Plate
A tea-time and breakfast staple across rural Morocco is a slab of soft fresh goat cheese drizzled generously with dark honey and eaten with warm bread. The salty-tangy cheese against the floral honey is the whole appeal, sometimes finished with a spoon of argan oil, a scatter of walnuts and a dusting of dried thyme.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 8 min
- Serves
- 2
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- 200 g soft fresh goat cheese (or jben)
- 3 tbsp dark honey (thyme or wildflower)
- 1 tbsp argan oil (optional)
- 30 g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme or za'atar
- Warm khobz or msemen, to serve
- A few fresh mint leaves
Method
- 1
Bring the cheese to room temperature
Take the cheese out of the fridge 20 minutes ahead so it is soft and its flavour is at its fullest.
- 2
Plate the cheese
Lay the cheese on a plate and press a few shallow grooves into the top with a spoon to catch the honey.
- 3
Drizzle
Spoon the honey generously over the cheese, letting it pool, then trickle over the argan oil if using.
- 4
Garnish
Scatter with chopped walnuts, a pinch of dried thyme and a few torn mint leaves.
- 5
Serve
Serve with warm bread torn into pieces, scooping up cheese and honey together in each bite.
Chef's tips
- Use a genuinely soft, fresh cheese; aged or rubbery cheese does not carry the honey the same way.
- A dark, strong honey balances the salt of the cheese far better than a light one.
- Toast the walnuts for a couple of minutes first for a deeper, less bitter crunch.
Frequently asked questions
What cheese is traditional?
Jben, a soft fresh Moroccan cheese made from cow's or goat's milk, is classic. A young soft goat cheese or even a mild fresh curd cheese stands in well.
Is this breakfast or dessert?
Both. It is a common breakfast or tea-time plate, but the same cheese, honey and nuts also close a meal as a light sweet course.