Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups full-fat small-curd cottage cheese (4%)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 thick slices sourdough or crusty country bread
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- Flaky salt, for finishing
- Optional: chili crisp, honey, or fresh chives/dill, for topping
Instructions
- Place the cottage cheese in a bowl, stir in the salt, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes — the salt will draw out excess liquid.
- Tip the cottage cheese into a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Let it drain for 5-10 minutes, pressing gently once or twice with a spoon. Reserve the drained whey for another use.
- Transfer the drained curds to a food processor with the lemon zest. Blend for 60-90 seconds, scraping down the sides, until completely smooth and lightened in texture, like whipped ricotta.
- Toast the bread until golden and crisp. While still warm, rub one side of each slice with the cut garlic clove and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
- Preheat the broiler. Spread a thick layer of the whipped cottage cheese onto each toast, all the way to the edges.
- Set the toasts on a baking sheet and broil 2-3 minutes, watching closely, until the top is blistered and browned in spots.
- Finish with cracked black pepper, flaky salt, and your choice of chili crisp, honey, or fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
Notes
Don’t skip salting and draining — it’s the difference between a wet, grainy spread and a genuinely smooth one. Use full-fat, small-curd cottage cheese; low-fat versions split and weep under the broiler instead of browning. No food processor? A stick blender in a tall, narrow cup works, just takes a bit longer to fully smooth out. Whipped cottage cheese keeps well covered in the fridge for up to 4 days and doubles as a fast dip or bagel spread.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Method: Broiled
- Cuisine: American