Seamus’s Grilled Halloumi with Lemon Recipe

Fried, roasted or gilled, halloumi is one of the best comfort food snacks imaginable. I never buy halloumi for a specific occasion – because of its long shelf life, I leave it the fridge and forget about it. Then one day or evening it comes to the rescue as a late-night supper, a vegetarian option or to help out an impoverished potato dish. Halloumi is Cyprus’s most famous export and is a cheese made from a mix of cows’ and sheep’s milk – sometimes goats’ milk is also included. The fresh curd is cooked, giving it its firm, rubbery texture. It should always be cooked and eaten warm. It is usually fried or grilled but I love topping any roast vegetable dish with thin slices and letting it brown and crisp up in the oven. 

SERVES 4 

Ingredients:

1 packet halloumi (usually 250g) 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

the juice of 1 lemon 

Method:

Cut the halloumi into slices roughly 1.5cm thick and brush with olive oil. You can do this with a pastry brush or rub the oil on with your hands and gently massage it into the cheese slices. 

Place the slices under a medium to hot grill and cook for 3 to 

4 minutes on each side, or until slightly brown. (If you wish to fry the cheese, cook for the same amount of time in a medium to hot pan.) 

Remove from the grill or pan, brush with lemon juice and serve immediately with a crisp kale salad or a hearty potato gratin – or both