Grilled Toasts with Goat Cheese,
Honeycomb & Fennel Seed

 

I love a recipe that is both elegant and a cinch to make. These toasts call for only a handful of ingredients: tangy goat cheese, raw honeycomb, toasted fennel seeds, and fresh thyme. The sweet honeycomb is beautiful smeared on the grilled bread and a sweet and floral accompaniment to the sharp, tangy fresh cheese. I like to bring everything out to the grill and assemble these toasts grill side. They can be served as an appetizer or a light lunch with some lightly dressed greens on the side.

 

Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer

  • 6 large slices rustic white bread

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 8 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature

  • 5.5 ounces raw honeycomb (see Note)

  • 1 Tablespoon toasted fennel seeds, crushed

  • Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish

  • Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high (about 450°F). Brush the bread all over with olive oil. Grill the bread, flipping once, until crispy and beginning to char around the edges, about 2 minutes per side. Cut the toasts in half and transfer to a large plate or platter.

  2. Smear the goat cheese on the bread, then top with chunks of raw honeycomb. Sprinkle with the toasted fennel seeds, fresh thyme leaves and some flaky sea salt. Drizzle with more honey, if desired. Enjoy!


    NOTE Raw honeycomb is entirely edible and adds a pleasant crunch to the top of these toasts. The beeswax is mild and soft—each bite is bursting with pockets of floral honey. I like the Savannah Bee Company raw honeycomb, which is easy to find at grocery stores and Williams Sonoma. If you’re unable to find raw honeycomb, then you can easily use local honey and drizzle it over the toasts before serving.