Goat Cheese and Roasted Garlic Beehive

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6.

Spread out the garlic on a baking sheet/tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake on the middle rack for 35 to 40 minutes, or until deep golden brown with burn spots here and there. Being careful not to burn your fingers, give the garlic heads a pinch. They should be very soft. Let cool to room temperature and then cut each head in half horizontally with a serrated bread knife.

Squeeze the roasted garlic pulp into a bowl, removing any garlic peel that may fall into the bowl. Mix the garlic pulp with a whisk until smooth. Save the peels to make a delicious roasted garlic stock for soup.

Line a 1 quart bowl with cheesecloth/muslin with plenty of overhang. Bring the goat cheese to room temperature.

Using clean and slightly damp hands, press a small amount of the cheese into the cloth-lined bowl. It should be a layer about 1 in/2.5 cm thick. This will be the top of the beehive. Add enough garlic puree to make a layer about 1 in/2.5 cm thick; repeat with the goat cheese, forming it into a disk 1 in/2.5 cm thick and of the same circumference of the mold. Continue with the alternating layers of goat cheese and garlic, ending with the cheese. Cover with the overhanging cheesecloth/muslin and refrigerate overnight.

An hour or so before serving, peel back the cheesecloth/muslin. Place a cake stand upside down on the bowl and then invert the two together. Remove the bowl and peel off the cheesecloth/muslin to reveal the beehive. Any cracks in the goat cheese can be smoothed with a wet finger or spatula. Drizzle the beehive with honey to complete the beehive theme and balance the aromatic garlic.

Serve with crostini, crackers, or plenty of crusty bread.

Recipe courtesy of The Cheesemonger's Kitchen by Chester Hastings/Chronicle Books, 2011.