I first fell for the combination of warm goat’s cheese and honey while living in France. Years later, when I was cooking for eight family members and friends, I wanted a starter that felt special but wouldn’t keep me away from the table. These crisp filo parcels were the perfect answer.
The dish is simple, so the ingredients matter. Use the ripest, sweetest tomatoes you can find—the farmers’ market tomatoes I used were outstanding—and season them generously with freshly ground mixed peppercorns. The sweet-sharp honey mustard dressing brings everything together.
Serves
4 as a starter
Preparation
About 20 minutes
Cooking
10–15 minutes
Ingredients
For the parcels and salad
- 200g goat’s cheese, cut into eight equal slices
- 4 large filo sheets, halved
- 25g butter, melted, or 2 tbsp olive oil, for brushing
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, ideally in different colours
- 60g rocket
- 1 small shallot, finely sliced
For the honey mustard dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1½ tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1–1½ tbsp runny honey, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground mixed peppercorns
- A little water, as needed
Method
- Make the parcels. Cut the goat’s cheese into eight equal slices. Work with one half-sheet of filo at a time and keep the rest covered. Brush the pastry lightly with melted butter or olive oil, place a slice of cheese in the centre and fold it into a neat parcel. Set it seam-side down. For a more decorative purse shape, use two pieces of filo per portion and gather the pastry at the top.
- Keep the filo supple. Lightly sprinkle the finished parcels with water and cover them with cling film while you prepare the rest of the dish. Filo dries quickly and becomes brittle, so keep any pastry you are not using covered too.
- Heat the oven. Preheat it to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6.
- Prepare the plates. Slice the tomatoes as thinly as possible and arrange them across four plates with a little rocket and finely sliced shallot. A large, very sharp knife should glide through ripe tomatoes without crushing them.
- Shake the dressing. Put the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and honey into a clean jar, season with salt and mixed peppercorns, close the lid and shake well. Taste and adjust: add a little more honey if it is too sharp, or a splash of vinegar if it is too sweet. Loosen with a couple of tablespoons of water if needed.
- Bake. Place the filo parcels in the centre of the oven and bake for 10–15 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Watch them closely near the end, particularly if you have made purse-shaped parcels—the fine pastry edges can colour very quickly.
- Serve. Set two warm filo parcels in the centre of each prepared plate, spoon over the honey mustard dressing and finish with more mixed peppercorns.
CATHERINE’S TIP
The tomatoes are every bit as important as the filo parcels. If they are underripe, their sharpness can overpower the cheese and dressing. Choose fragrant tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and give very slightly when pressed.
Make ahead and store
The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge; shake it again before serving. Assemble the parcels a few hours ahead, arrange them seam-side down on a lined tray and keep them covered and chilled so the filo does not dry out. Bake them shortly before serving for the best crisp texture. Leftover cooked parcels can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated in the oven until piping hot, although the filo will be at its best on the day it is baked.
Allergy note: This recipe contains milk, gluten and mustard. Check the filo packaging if cooking for someone with additional allergies, and use vegetarian goat’s cheese if required.
For more inspiration, browse the lunch and light-bite recipes or explore all Foodwizardry recipes.
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