Roasted Grapes with Honey, Thyme and Aged Cheese
Grapes
Roasted Grapes with Honey, Thyme and Aged Cheese
Roasting concentrates what fresh grapes already do well — sweetness, a little acidity, the faint winey depth. Served warm alongside a piece of aged graviera or hard cheese, this is one of those dishes that seems more considered than it is.
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh grapes (kept in small clusters) — Golden Delies grapes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4–5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- Flaky sea salt and black pepper
- 200 g aged graviera or hard pecorino
- Good bread to serve
Method
- Heat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment.
- Arrange the grape clusters on the tray with the sliced onion. Drizzle over the olive oil and honey.
- Scatter the thyme sprigs over everything. Season with a generous pinch of flaky salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Roast for 18–22 minutes until the grapes have softened and begun to blister, and the onion is catching at the edges. The honey will caramelise slightly.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Tear over the cheese and serve immediately with good bread.
Notes
- This works as a starter, a cheese course, or alongside grilled meat or chicken.
- A splash of balsamic vinegar in the last 5 minutes of roasting adds a pleasant sharpness.
- Use whatever firm, salty cheese you have — aged manchego, pecorino, or Cretan graviera are all excellent.
Why it works
Fresh grapes from our Profitis Ilias vineyards have a fullness that comes from the dry Cretan summer and unirrigated vines. Roasting removes only water — everything else stays. The result is intensely flavoured, slightly jammy, and still distinctly grape. The cheese is not optional: the salt cuts the sweetness and makes this a dish rather than a condiment.