Idiazábal, smoked Spainish cheese, is marinated in a rosemary-thyme-infused oil seasoned with garlic and black pepper. A simple snack or tapas.

Marinated Idiazábal Cheese with Rosemary
Ingredients
Directions
Split open the garlic cloves by placing them on a chopping board and pressing down hard on them with the base of your hand or with the flat side of a knife.
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, coating the cheese thoroughly in the oil and herbs.
Cover the bowl and leave it overnight at room temperature.
Spear the cheese cubes on toothpicks and serve them on a plate.
Recipe Testers Reviews
Marinated Idiazábal Cheese with Rosemary Recipe © 2005 José Andrés. Photo © 2005 Francesc Guillamet. All rights reserved. All materials used with permission.
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Elsa M. Jacobson
Idiazábal cheese is worth discovering even before it’s marinated for this tapa recipe. It wasn’t difficult to locate, so I purchased it along with Manchego and smoked Gouda, two of the cheeses mentioned as viable substitutes. Though the smoked Gouda was very good, and the Manchego excellent, the Idiazábal cheese far outshone them, in part because it’s such a unique ingredient: its quiet smokiness marries perfectly with the garlic-herb marinade, and its texture does become what Andrés intends—juicy and flavorful.
The recipe’s accompanying photograph appeared to depict a fresh leaf, so I went ahead and used one. Not only do the fresh leaves impart better flavor, but their bright dark green makes for a more appealing presentation. I also invested in the Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, as noted in the ingredients list.
I served this in a bowl rather than a plate, keeping the cheese cubes marinating throughout the serving time for the buffet where I presented this trio of cheeses. Had I been serving this as an appetizer or as part of a tapas meal, I might have gone the plated route, but this approach did retain the fresh look and taste of the cheese.