This week’s recipes were particularly difficult for me to judge. As a committed fan of the squeaky Greek-Cypriot cheese, I was inclined to judge every recipe the winner, so I enlisted some friends to help out and cooked up a big halloumi-based feast ...
First up, a rhubarb, fennel, pomegranate and halloumi salad from Angela Kim. This was salty, sweet and sharp, the taste and texture changing with each bite.
The halloumi layered scones from Miriam Bullock went down a treat – and were perfect the next day with a bowl of tomato soup. The broccoli and halloumi salad from Karen Austin made for an excellent packed lunch: one of the few things that will be better after a few hours in the office fridge.
And it’s fair to say TwinnyDip’s halloumi focaccia sandwiches will have people clamouring for the veggie option at any barbecue this summer; if you make this dish, you’ll be glad of the leftover sweet and smoky butternut muhammara.
Another baked winner was aubergine, halloumi and pine nut pizza from Fadime Tiskaya; plentiful herbs, soft aubergine and grated cheese made for a deeply savoury topping, minus the meat.
Top of the list, though, was Colleen Rogers’ Turkish dish. A softly poached egg in creamy, garlicky yoghurt is a wonderful thing in itself, but when topped with crispy halloumi, sweet onions, a touch of chilli heat and aromatic herbs, it becomes something truly standout. I’ve also tried the halloumi and herb mix scattered over a simple green salad, on top of hummus and stirred through a tomato and roasted red pepper stew; what further proof do I need of halloumi working well with everything?
The winning recipe: Turkish eggs
This recipe is based on something I found in a Turkish cookbook.
Colleen Rogers, London
Serves 2
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Fresh chilli, to taste, finely chopped
½ block halloumi, chopped into small chunks
Large handful each of fresh flatleaf parsley and dill, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
200g Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp garlic puree
4 eggs
Sourdough toast, to serve
1 Gently fry the onion and shallots in the oil until soft. Add the chilli and halloumi, fry until the cheese is brown and a bit crunchy, then stir though the herbs and cook for another minute.
2 Divide the yoghurt between two bowls and mix in a generous dollop of garlic puree (from the tube has a more intense flavour) into each, and season with a little salt and fresh black pepper.
3 Poach the eggs, then gently place them in the yoghurt.
4 Divide the onion and cheese mix between the bowls, top with more fresh parsley and dill, then serve with sourdough.
Halloumi layered scones
These are adapted from an American breakfast biscuit recipe – hence the layered construction – but they’re more of a focal point than an accompaniment, so I think it’s better to call them scones. Eat these warm with butter, honey, sharp cheese, or all of the above.
Miriam Bullock, via GuardianWitness
Makes 4 large scones
250g halloumi
4 large sprigs of thyme
Zest of 1 orange
235ml buttermilk (or 50/50 milk and yoghurt)
300g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of salt
75g butter, diced
40ml honey
1 Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Cut the halloumi into two squat rectangles. Grate one half. Cut the remaining half into 12 short, even slices. Set both aside.
2 Reserve four small sprigs of thyme for decoration and pick the leaves from the remaining stems. Pummel the thyme and orange zest to a paste in a pestle and mortar, then add the buttermilk and mix well.
3 Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the flavoured buttermilk to the flour mixture and mix until just combined into a soft dough.
4 Flour a work surface or board and tip out the dough. With floured hands, pat into a thick rough rectangle, about 15cm x 22cm. Drizzle 2 tsp honey over the dough and sprinkle with ⅓ of the grated cheese. Lightly press the cheese into the dough. Pick up one of the short ends of the dough and carefully fold it halfway across the dough, then fold the other free edge over on top, like folding a business letter. Press the dough out to its original 15cm x 22cm size and repeat the layering twice more – honey, cheese, fold – so that you have folded three times in all. Carefully reshape the dough into a square and cut into four with a sharp knife. Carefully transfer the scones on to the baking sheet, well-spaced.
5 Arrange 3 slices of halloumi, overlapping, on each scone. Drizzle with the remaining honey and decorate with the reserved thyme. Bake for 12-20 minutes, until browned and well-risen. They may slump to one side as they bake – don’t worry, they will still taste really good. Cool for 15 minutes or so before eating.
Barbecue halloumi and muhammara sandwich
This Middle-Eastern inspired dish might just be that “burger with a twist” you have been looking for. This vegetarian alternative with crispy and springy grilled halloumi and deliciously sweet and nutty butternut muhammara is served in-between toasted foccacia bread. And don’t worry about the remaining dips, they will disappear quickly
TwinnyDip, via GuardianWitness
Makes 2
For the muhammara
550g butternut squash, cut into chunks with the skin on
1 garlic clove, peeled, lightly crushed
1-2 slices (about 40g) toast, torn into pieces
55g walnuts, toasted
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp agave syrup or honey
1 tsp smoked paprika
A small pinch of chilli flakes, to taste
A pinch of cumin, to taste
A pinch of salt, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
For the sandwiches
2 focaccia rolls
6-8 tbsp of muhammara (see above)
Olive oil, for frying
6 slices of halloumi
A few fresh basil leaves
1 tomato, sliced
1 To make the muhammara, steam the butternut squash along with the garlic clove for 20-25 minutes until tender. Plunge in a bowl of cold water to prevent further cooking, then scoop out the flesh from the skin and transfer the flesh and garlic to a blender with the rest of the muhammara ingredients. Blitz until smooth. It should be quite thick with a consistency similar to that of hummus. If needed, add more olive oil until it reaches the desired consistency.
2 Lightly toast the focaccia, split-side up under the grill for about 2 minutes. While the bread is toasting, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, fry the halloumi slices for about 30-60 seconds on each side until golden. Or, put them on a rack over the hot barbecue. Again it will take about 30 seconds on each side but will depend on heat intensity of the fire so keep a close eye on them.
3 Generously spread the muhammara on to the bottom halves of focaccia, then top with the halloumi, fresh basil leaves and tomato slices. Top with the other bread halves and serve.
Zesty halloumi with fennel, rhubarb, and pomegranate salad
In this dish, salty halloumi cheese is in zesty and minty marinade, served with a sweet and sour salad. Get the pan quite hot before flash frying the halloumi.
Angela Kim, via GuardianWitness
Serves 3-4
For the marinade
1 tbsp lemon juice, plus extra for dressing
Juice of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
About 15 mint leaves, finely sliced
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp maple syrup
½ tsp salt, plus extra for the dressing
2 tbsp olive oil, to make the dressing
Black pepper
For the salad
225g halloumi cheese, cut into about 15mm thick triangles
1 small rhubarb, thinly sliced at an angle
Seeds of ¼ pomegranate
A handful of rocket
¼ small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
A small handful of almonds, toasted and chopped
2 medjool dates, chopped into small pieces
A pinch of crushed pink peppercorns
1 tbsp olive oil
1 Whisk all the ingredients for the marinade apart from the olive oil in a shallow bowl large enough to hold the cheese in one layer. Toss the halloumi slices with the marinade. Leave for about 2 hours in the fridge.
2 Toss the rest of the salad ingredients in a salad bowl. For the dressing, remove the halloumi slices to another plate, reserving the marinade. Add another ¼ tsp salt, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, and a few grinds of black pepper to the marinade. Whisk until emulsified and toss with the salad.
3 Heat the olive oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, fry the halloumi cheese on one side for about 30 seconds until golden. Flip and repeat. Serve the cheese immediately with the salad on the side.
Broccoli and halloumi salad
This recipe was given to me by a Danish guy called Jens; he said it was the best salad ever and all the rage in Denmark. I agree!
Karen Austin, West Cork, Ireland
Serves 4-6
For the salad
1 head broccoli, broken into small florets
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 handful raisins
1 handful pinenuts, toasted
200g halloumi, sliced
For the dressing
1 egg yolk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
200ml rapeseed or sunflower oil
50ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar plus a drizzle for the onion
2 tbsp soured cream
1 Pre-heat the oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Put the halloumi on baking tray and brush with a little olive oil. Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
2 To make the dressing, put the egg yolk and mustard into bowl and whisk together. Mix the oils then slowly drizzle in, whisking continuously so they emulsify. If the oil is visible stop drizzling the oil and whisk until it’s incorporated, then continue. Add the red wine vinegar and soured cream. Season with salt and pepper.
3 If the dressing is very thick, thin by whisking in a little warm water. Stir the pine nuts and raisins into the dressing and put aside, preferably for an hour.
4 Put the onion in a small bowl, then massage with a pinch of salt and drizzle with a little red wine vinegar. Put aside with the dressing.
5 When you are ready to eat, cut the roasted halloumi into 1cm cubes, then put the broccoli, halloumi and onion into a big bowl then pour the dressing over and mix well. Leave for a further hour if you can before eating.
Middle Eastern-style pizza with halloumi and aubergine
The origins of the word pizza are debatable; it is said it could come from the latin word “panisa” or “pitta-pita”, both meaning flat bread. The most important thing is pizza in all its varieties is enjoyed by millions. This is my attempt to bring the pizza to (possibly) its origins. For meat lovers who feel the need to eat a bit more vegetarian food, this is right up your street as the mixture of the halloumi, aubergine and nuts gives an almost meat-like texture.
Fadime Tiskaya, GuardianWitness
Makes 2 medium pizzas
For the pizza dough
210g strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
4g or 1 heaped tsp dried yeast
150ml lukewarm water
For the topping
8 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
1 medium aubergine, peeled and sliced in to to 1cm-thick discs
1 medium onion, finely sliced
Salt and ground black pepper
A pinch of ground nutmeg
130g halloumi, grated
A large handful of parsley, finely chopped
A large handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp cayenne pepper
30g pine nuts
1 First make the dough. Put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl, then dissolve the yeast in the water and gradually add it to the flour mix well until you achieve a dough. Add more flour if too sticky, then knead the dough for 7-10 minutes and leave it to rest for 20 minutes or so.
2 Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Heat a large pan, add 2 tbsp of the olive oil and fry the aubergines until they are brown on each side. Add little more oil if needed when you turn them over. Move them on to paper towels to get rid of excess oil. You may need to fry them in two batches.
3 Next, gently fry the onions with little bit of salt and pepper, until they are soft and slightly brown and caramelised. Move them on paper towels, too.
4 Chop the fried aubergines into small chunks, then transfer it into a mixing bowl, sprinkle tiny bit of salt and pepper then grate some nutmeg over and mix well. Add the onions, cheese, herbs and cayenne pepper, mix again then and check the seasoning.
5 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Divide the dough into two and form them into balls. Sprinkle some flour on a clean surface, the roll each piece into 1/2 cm thick circles. Brush some olive oil over the dough then put half of the filling on to the dough and spread it evenly, sprinkling over the pine nuts, then carefully transferring it onto baking tray. Repeat the same with the remaining ingredients. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the edges turned golden brown colour, then serve.
