Fried halloumi with a warm sultana and pecan salsa
Fried halloumi with a warm sultana and pecan salsa
by Sam Linsell
This is a delicious sweet and savoury dish that is perfect as a starter snack or part of a Greek mezze spread. Serve with other dips and spreads, bread or breadsticks.
Salsa:
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbsp rosemary leaves stripped form the stalk
1/3 cup golden sultanas
1 strip of lemon peel
1 small stalk of rosemary
ΒΌ cup honey
2 pinches Aleppo pepper (or a pinch of dried chilli flakes and smoked paprika), optional
1/3 cup, chopped roasted pecans
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Fried halloumi:
250gms halloumi cheese
Olive oil for frying (approx. 3 Tbsp)
Lemon wedges to serve
To make the sultana and pecan salsa heat the butter in a small frying pan. Once frothy, fry the rosemary leaves for a minute until sizzling. Drain the butter and rosemary through a small fine sieve and se the leaves aside.
Return the butter to the pan and add the sultanas, strip of lemon peel, small piece of rosemary and pan fry for a minute or so in the browned butter.
Add the honey and Aleppo pepper (or chili and smoked paprika) and bring that to a bubble. Once bubbling remove the lemon rind and rosemary and add the roasted pecans and teaspoon of lemon juice.
Put the halloumi cheese on kitchen paper and pat dry. Heat a nonstick frying pan and add a good splash of olive oil (about 3 tablespoons).
Cut the halloumi into thick strips. Fry over a medium heat until golden brown on each side.
Serve of a plate topped with the warm honey salsa and lemon wedges on the side