Fried Halloumi Cheese in Pita with Hummus, Salad a...
Up until a few short years ago I had never even heard of halloumi cheese. For those that know me this may seem strange as I absolutely LOVE cheese. Stilton, Brie, Shropshire Blue, Cornish Yarg, Caerphilly, Roquefort, Mozzarella, Caboc, Gruyere, Double Gloucester, Coeur de Chevre – the list goes on and on and on.
So how I had missed out on halloumi cheese for so long I will never know. Fortunately a good friend invited me over for lunch and she served a mixed leaf and cherry tomato salad with pieces of grilled halloumi on top. It was delicious and I quickly came to the realization that I had been missing out on something quite wonderful!
Halloumi is a semi soft cheese made with a mixture of sheep and goats milk. There are some manufacturers who are bringing cows milk into the process as it is cheaper to produce and it creates a milder flavour. This is not true halloumi however and many argue that you can really only get authentic halloumi in Cyprus. As of the 1990’s the USA has registered halloumi as a protected Cypriot product but it still has not achieved this status within the EU. The question of whether cow’s milk should be allowed in the process is at the heart of this debate.
While it is traditionally associated with Cypriot cuisine it’s also very popular in Greece as well as the Middle East. Halloumi has a strong salty flavour and a firm texture. It comes packaged in brine with mint which acts as an anti-bacterial ingredient – giving it a long shelf life. Although it can be eaten ‘raw’ (directly out of the packet) it is much tastier when grilled or fried.
If you have never tried halloumi cheese then I highly recommend putting it on your list of ingredients to try!
Luna Raye’s Fried Halloumi in Pita with Hummus, Salad and Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
• 250 g of Halloumi cheese sliced
• Handful of fresh salad leaves
• Handful of cherry tomatoes quartered
• 1-2 Tablespoons of fresh mint leaves chopped (optional but really tasty)
• 2-3 Tbsp of flour seasoned with freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 Tbsp of hummus
• Pita Bread (this recipe can make 4 sandwiches easily)
Directions
• Heat oil in a frying pan
• Coat the halloumi slices in the flour and place them in the heated oil
• Let the slices cook on one side for approx 2-3 minutes. Don’t have the heat too high
• When the slices are a golden brown colour on one side flip them over
• Toast pita breads (I like to allow mine to cool a little before cutting them open because they get HOT! If I had a penny for every time I was burned by hot pita bread I would be very rich indeed!)
• When halloumi is golden on both sides remove from pan and allow excess oil to drain off by placing on paper towel
• When pita is safe to cut into – go for it! Spread hummus on the inside and place a few leaves and tomatoes at the bottom.
• Add 2-3 slices of the halloumi and top up with a bit more hummus, salad and tomatoes
Enjoy!
Warning these sandwiches are highly addictive.