Halloumi (/həˈluːmi/) is a semi-hard, Cypriot cheese traditionally made from goat’s milk, sheep’s milk, or sometimes cow’s milk. It is high in both fat and salt. It is also a good source of protein making it a great meat substitute for vegetarians. Halloumi is rich in calcium, zinc, magnesium, selenium, vitamin A, and B vitamins. Due to its high melting point this cheese can be fried or grilled until brown without losing its shape or its chewy texture.
We are a family of cheese lovers especially the salty cheeses like Halloumi and feta. Halloumi is pretty expensive in the US with usually one slab costing about $10. Multiply this by the fact that everyone in the family LOVES this cheese, we can go through quite a few blocks of halloumi in one sitting. I have vegetarians in the house so I am sometimes quite generous with the halloumi distribution amongst the family members. Interestingly my fussy kids (read really fussy kids) who are not vegetarians, also love this cheese. The best recipe for halloumi I find is the one that has the least amount of interruption with the natural flavors of this dish. So in this recipe the halloumi is fried in a cast iron pan with very little oil. The dressing that is drizzled on the halloumi is tangy which works beautifully to balance the saltiness of the cheese. The fresh herb gives the dish an earthy flavor and brings all the flavors together @sarchakra
PREP TIME: 10 mins
COOK TIME: 5 mins
YIELDS: 3
Ingredients
- Halloumi cheese 8.8 oz, cut into thick rectangular slabs
- Pomegranate vinegar 4 tbsp
- Yellow mustard 1 tbsp
- Sugar 2 tbsp
- Black pepper 2 tsp
- Salt
- Olive oil 4 tbsp
- Italian parsley 2 tbsp, freshly chopped
Method
- Drain the halloumi and cut into large rectangular shapes. Keep aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a cast iron pan. Fry halloumi pieces in the pan till golden on both sides. Reserve halloumi on a serving plate.
- In a jar combine 3 tbsp of olive oil, yellow mustard, salt, black pepper, pomegranate vinegar and sugar. Close the lid of the jar. Shake the jar vigorously so it combines well.
- Pour the dressing on the fried halloumi. Garnish with freshly chopped Italian parsley.
sarchakra 