Haloumi... haloooouuumi

In response to a plea from a friend (a friend with a slab of shiny haloumi to be dealt with), I am posting a how-to on haloumi: the cheese that Nigella says "squeaks like polystyrene".

This tasty offering comes from Cyprus, and is supposed to be made with a mixture of goat and sheep milk. These days, commercial haloumi probably has a fair proportion of cow milk in it as well, as it's cheaper to produce.

It tastes like firm salty heaven. A fresh cheese, so it's not aged: a little bit like mozzarella. Not much dairy flavour: I would perhaps go so far as to suggest a soy-like taste. You buy it shrink-wrapped, and surrounded by its own briny juice. Its shape is like a mattress folded in half, with dried mint flakes stuffed in the middle. The mint adds flavour, but tends to fall out when you cook it. One option is to re-sprinkle your cheese with fresh mint after cooking.

Haloumi is awesome because it doesn't melt. This happens due to the fresh curds being heated before they are moulded into their haloumal shape. Here's how they do it.

So, what do you do with haloumi?

Rule 1 is that you must fry or grill it. No sense having a unique non-melty cheese in your fridge without conducting some tests (all in the name of science, of course).

You can use a non-stick pan, or a normal frying pan, but either way, spray it with a tiny bit of cooking spray. Heat the pan before the cheese goes in: a medium-to-low heat.

Slice up the haloumi slab in pieces about 1cm thick: any thinner and you don't get the crust-to-rubbery-interior ratio just right. You can also cut each slice in half along its 'mint line' if you like. The cheese will go a long way, so smaller slices are probably best. Don't be annoyed when the mint falls out pre/during cooking. Its job is already done.

Nigella's haloumi (the one we make all the time)

Fry the slices on both sides till golden. Meanwhile, in a small dish, combine some finely chopped garlic and fresh chili with some olive oil. Let it sit while you do the cheese (actually its much better if you let the oil infuse for about ten minutes). Place the cheese on a plate and spoon over the garlic/chili mixture evenly.

Traditional uses for haloumi

The Greeks eat it with watermelon and/or figs during the summer.

They also use it in a meze platter by layering it with a slice of smoked pork or lamb sausage and then frying them both together.

More haloumi ideas

Squeeze half a lemon over your fried haloumi. Sprinkle it with herbs: oregano, chopped mint, coriander and thyme are all tasty. Put fried slices on a platter with olives, water crackers or pita bread, crudites and ham for an outdoor gathering. Grate fresh haloumi over pasta. Use it to stuff homemade ravioli or as a layering in lasagne. Use fried haloumi to go with couscous and vegetables.

Some nice haloumi recipes from a US haloumi producer

Grilled haloumi with sauteed green beans recipe over at 101 Cookbooks

I think haloumi does best as a nibble, a snack, a tapas or a meze (as it is used in Cyprus). You can also thread cubes onto skewers and kebab-ify them on the barbecue, or make them into burgers, or use the fried slices in lieu of bacon for a tasty breakfast.