Fried Halloumi Cheese
This is a fabulous appetizer or can be served as part of a selection of Middle Eastern appetizers, such as Baba Ganoush, Labneh, and Hummus. Once fried, the cubes of halloumi could also be added to a salad, mixed into a bowl of grains and roasted vegetables, or paired with a plate of juicy tomatoes and some fresh basil. You can easily increase the recipe; just make sure your skillet is large enough to they’re all frying in a single layer. Or prepare them in batches.
I do recommend dousing the fried cubes in good-quality olive oil, which makes a difference. In addition to the ground black pepper and red pepper flakes, variations include adding a squirt of lemon juice, a bit of chili oil or paste, mixing in sprigs of fresh thyme or oregano, or dusting the just-fried cubes with sumac, paprika, or za’atar.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (225 - 250g) halloumi
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil for frying plus 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for dressing the fried cheese
- a few generous grinds of black pepper
- big pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Drain the halloumi and cut it into cubes; slice the slab in half horizontally, then cut the cheese into batons and slice them into cubes. Pat the cubes very dry with paper towels.
- Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the cubes of halloumi and cook for a few minutes without stirring, until the bottoms are well-browned.
- Turn the halloumi cubes with a spatula, and brown them on the other sides. They don’t need to be perfectly browned on all sides, but they should be a nice golden brown color for best flavor.
- Transfer the fried halloumi cubes to a bowl along with any oil in the pan. Grind black pepper over the cheese, add the red pepper flakes and the remaining 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir well, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Notes: I don’t recommend refrigerating the cheese once fried. It tends to get firm and loses what makes it so special. It tastes so good when it’s freshly made – and it’s so easy – that you can easily make them before serving, and let them sit at room temperature until ready to serve.
- Any leftover oil can be reused for another cooking project, such as salad dressing or marinating.
- Halloumi cheese (sometimes called haloumi or halumi) is found in Arabic, Turkish, and Greek markets. I also found some recipes online (below) in case you want to try your hand at making your own.