:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Saganaki-Halloumi-FT-RECIPE0922-2000-0dda32adc3eb463bbe4511b3b488e5f3.jpg)
Agency and salty, Halloumi cheese is finest when cooked and may stand as much as numerous preparations, from grilling to frying. This white cheese originated on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, and is historically made with sheep’s milk, although you’ll additionally discover cow’s and goat’s milk variations, or ones which might be made with a mixture.
Halloumi is extraordinarily fashionable in Europe, significantly within the U.Ok., the place it’s the number-one imported cheese. Though a lot of the Halloumi within the U.S. can be imported, there are just a few American producers like Yaya’s Cheese in Boise, Idaho.
Halloumi has a salty and milky taste, considerably like feta — however it could be most well-known for its excessive melting level and skill to carry its form when grilled or seared. “It develops a fantastic caramelized outer crust and a squishy, squeaky inside,” says cookbook creator and former F&W restaurant editor Khushbu Shah.
“This distinctive texture makes it extremely versatile. Grilled Halloumi cubes, which act as salty ‘croutons,’ are my favourite approach to elevate any salad,” says Shah. “They’re additionally satisfying threaded onto skewers with greens, and so they make an excellent filling for tacos or a topping for focaccia. Or minimize the cheese into slabs, then prepare dinner them and stuff them right into a sandwich — Halloumi works significantly effectively in a vegetarian riff on a BLT or seared with scorching honey for Mediterranean-inspired Scorching Honey Halloumi Sliders.”
Learn on for extra concepts on the way to use this versatile cheese.
Grilled Halloumi Burgers with Citrus Tapenade
Halloumi develops a charred crust that yields to smooth cheese inside when it is grilled or sautéed. Make it the centerpiece of a vegetarian burger, seasoning with cumin, salt, and pepper. High with a citrusy olive tapenade and crushed pink pepper flakes for tang and warmth.
Greek Kale Salad with Fried Halloumi
Jennifer Causey / Meals Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva
Add crispy halloumi cheese, kalamata olives, and a spicy Mediterranean dressing to traditional Greek salad for a piquant, hearty variation from Marve McClain.
Citrus, Beet, and Arugula Salad with Halloumi Croutons
Adeena Sussman elevates a peppery arugula salad to big day standing in 35 minutes with crispy halloumi croutons, combined citrus, and jewel-toned roasted beets.
Scorching Honey Halloumi Sliders
Greg Dupree / Meals Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
Sandwich Calabrian chile–marinated Halloumi, peppery arugula, and roasted pink peppers between Hawaiian rolls for these shiny, punchy, spicy, and fruity sliders.
Saganaki Halloumi (Cypriot Fried Halloumi)
Fry halloumi cheese in clarified butter, then brush in a spiced honey and serve with lemon yogurt, brandy-basted nectarines, and recent tomatoes for a candy and savory appetizer from Christian Hernandez, chef de delicacies of March in Houston.
Halloumi Schnitzel Salad
Carson Downing / Meals Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco
Items of crunchy, gooey fried halloumi improve this salad to an irresistible principal course in an hour.
Halloumi-and-Vegetable Skewers with Pomegranate-Tahini Sauce
Marinate halloumi and greens in an earthy, punchy, candy pomegranate-tahini marinade with recent orange juice for a nice depth of taste.
Mango-and-Halloumi Fritto Misto
F&W’s Justin Chapple types a light-weight however dippable crust on sturdy halloumi and agency mangoes with a batter of fizzy membership soda, flour, and cornstarch for this cheese and fruit combined fry.