A salty, mild cheese originating from Cyprus with a high melting point, which makes this perfect to fry. It would normally be pronounced (huh-loo-mee) but my Turkish friend Leyla would always tell me off, saying (hell-im), so pronunciation varies.
I have seen this become more and more popular in the UK, having felt very new and exotic at one point. Now, it has thankfully become one of the more popular cheeses and I often make this dish at a BBQ or dinner party as a side for people to have as they wish. Last time I made this I was a bit merry and managed to cook it so long that it started melting but it still tasted amazing with the slow cooked lamb, flatbreads and salads.
The charring of the lemon adds an extra twist and can be done on the BBQ. I have added a sprinkling of pistachios and almonds along with honey and thyme but up to you where you want to take this. I’d love any suggestions as to extra bonus bits that would complement this dish but please do try in its most simple state (if you haven’t done yet) as it’s beautiful.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Haloumi slices, about 0.5-1cm thick
- 2 tbsp of runny honey
- Sprig of thyme
First, char the lemon on a BBQ or in a hot, dry pan and leave to one side.
Slice the haloumi and remove the leaves from most of your thyme, leaving just a few stems intact.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan until quite hot and then add your slices. Cook in batches if necessary. Cook for about 2 minutes on one side then drizzle with about 1 tbsp honey and then add half your thyme.
Flip and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side, drizzling and sprinkling with more honey and thyme. Haloumi should be caremalised and golden. Serve warm with your charred lemon. Voila!!
The Travelling Pantry 
Yum! This looks really delicious. I absolutely love Haloumi, but never cooked it like this before. I’ll need to try it next time!
Thanks, I hope you like it even better cooked…I do!
Delicious! I have seem halloumi prepared like this by Nigella Lawson and have always wanted to make. Yours is beautiful and . . . . what a breakfast!
Ooh, I’ll have a look at what Nigella’s doing with hers….thanks
You remembered! charred lemon and ‘hell-im’ looks amazing..
How could I forget, you’d actually get quite annoyed at the wrong pronunciation…..you’re very scary when angry Leyla…..haha xx
Yum this looks near to the perfect breakfast! I remember how when I was in Cyprus years back every café offered a full english with halloumi, just like this fry-up you’ve got here… so delicious 🙂
Ah nice, I have still never been – top of my list actually, especially if you get haloumi with every breakfast!
Oh I’d highly recommend it 🙂 x
This post is making me drool, that haloumi looks cooked and crisped to perfection
Thanks, hope you have given in to the craving! t’s funny, such a quick but delicious thing to make and a great breakfast side or warm salad.
Oh my! We will definitely be trying this soon 🙂 We LOVE haloumi!
Yum yum!! That looks absolutely amazing, especially with the lemons to cut the sweetness and richness. I can imagine it would be great as a full salad too, with lots of different leaves, and maybe some diced ham thrown in to make it a complete meal. 🙂