Golden Halloumi with Honey and Thyme

Right here’s an unbelievably scrumptious 5 minute halloumi recipe: pan fried golden, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with thyme. It’s a stellar mixture of flavours – salty, candy and earthy herb. Nice starter, snack, or make a fundamental salad a lot extra attention-grabbing!

Fried halloumi

It’s inconceivable to withstand devouring golden fried halloumi straight from the pan, when it’s crispy on the floor and gooey inside. And why ought to we? It’s so nice plain!

However sooner or later, attempt it with a drizzle of honey, sprinkle of contemporary thyme and pinch of purple pepper flakes. It’s Outrageously Scrumptious (caps intentional) and an awesome 2-second-way to decorate up halloumi if you’ve acquired firm.

Serve with heat pita bread, olives, and good olive oil for a easy but totally satisfying starter!

What you want

For the crispy golden pan fried halloumi

Simply halloumi and olive oil for cooking!

• Halloumi – The model you get issues! Actual halloumi is from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, not Greece. It can fry up golden on the floor and be comfortable on the within. Economical manufacturers may be rubbery on the within (even when scorching), or be so bloated with brine they appear to endlessly leech water as they prepare dinner and *by no means* go golden, whereas others are simply oddly dry and crumbly.

  Search for halloumi with “PDO” on the packet label (Protected Designation of Origin). This can be a mark of excellence that proves a merchandise’ high quality and can’t be used on any product made exterior of Cyprus. I get Alambra and Dodoni manufacturers.

• Olive oil – Although some recipes don’t use oil to prepare dinner halloumi, you actually do want a contact of oil to get a pleasant golden crust on the halloumi. With out, you simply get patchy brown elements, and should you attempt to take it additional it simply burns and doesn’t go crispy. So, if you would like a very nice golden crispy halloumi, don’t skip the oil!

  I like to make use of olive oil as a result of it has extra flavour than unflavoured oils like canola oil and so forth. Whereas you should use further virgin olive oil right here as a result of we’re not high-temp cooking, don’t use your good things. Save that for salads and ending dishes!

For the HONEY THYME end (OPTIONAL)

• Honey – Or maple syrup, although I personally assume that the flavour of honey pairs higher. It’s additionally thicker so clings higher.

• Contemporary thyme leaves – It’s simply such an awesome earthy flavour that works so nicely with the salty-sweet mixture happening right here! I wouldn’t substitute with dried thyme, it’s simply not the identical. However, hand on coronary heart, that is nonetheless value making with simply honey!

• Chilli flakes (purple pepper flakes) – That is non-obligatory, so as to add the tiniest delicate trace of heat to this dish and in addition add some pretty purple flecks. For me, it’s simply an easy method so as to add an additional contact to this dish, however as I discussed, it’s 100% non-obligatory!

Different sprinkling / drizzling choices I’ve used and loved through the years:

• contemporary oregano (roughly chopped)

• walnuts (walnuts + honey is such an awesome, Greek-vibes combo)

• different nuts (almonds and pistachios come to thoughts)

• white sesame seeds

• lemon juice or lemon zest

• swish of additional virgin olive oil

The best way to make golden pan-fried Halloumi

Good and simple, however please pay attention to how thick to chop the slices and patting them dry earlier than cooking!

1. Lower the halloumi into 1 – 1.25 cm / 0.4 – 0.5″ thick slices. Any thinner, and also you’ll find yourself with halloumi chips. ✨This is among the Golden Guidelines of Halloumi cooking! (See high of put up)✨

   I get 7 to eight slices out of a typical 225 – 250g/8 oz block.

2. Dry – Lay the slices out on paper towels then pat the floor dry as nicely. Don’t press down exhausting, we simply need to blot extra moisture off the floor.

3. Prepare dinner – Warmth the oil over medium-high warmth in a non stick pan. Place the halloumi within the pan fastidiously – it is going to splutter! I take advantage of my fingers to I can deal with the items fastidiously. Prepare dinner for 1 1/2 minutes or till the underside is golden. Initially, they are going to leech water (the brine contained in the cheese) then ones the water evaporates that’s when the underside will begin to get color.

   When to show – If you see the sides of the underside change into golden, that’s a superb signal that the entire underside the golden.

4. Rigorously flip (I take advantage of a spatula and a butter knife) then prepare dinner the opposite facet for round 1 to 1 1/2 minutes till golden.

   ⚠️ Don’t attempt to prepare dinner too many slices within the pan on the identical time, else they are going to braise and by no means go golden!
   ⚠️ Transfer the slices round if wanted in order that they prepare dinner evenly, however the extra you may depart them undistributed, the extra even the golden floor.

5. Switch straight onto the serving plate. You may serve it identical to that (which is certainly the commonest method I eat halloumi!) or end it with the honey and thyme.

6. End – Working rapidly (so you will get it to the desk whereas the centres are nonetheless heat and comfortable!), drizzle with honey, sprinkle with thyme and chilli flakes, then serve it asap!

How I eat fried halloumi

So as of frequency:

1. With fingers, straight off the plate, as a starter. That is most likely the commonest method I serve it (with and with out the honey). I prepare dinner it up when I’ve just a few spare minutes then cross it round. I actually attempt to minimise cooking time when mates are round however it is a nice one to do as a result of it’s so fast!

2. As a part of a cheese board unfold. It’s all the time the primary to go (often as a result of I put it down and flap my fingers round insisting that everybody eat up, eat up, whereas it’s scorching!) 😂

3. On a salad. Take a bowl of plain leafy greens and plonk just a few fried halloumi’s on high and woah! Out of the blue that boring salad is a lot extra thrilling – and passes as a meal, at that! Or, particularly, attempt including halloumi onto considered one of these salads to dial them up a notch (skip or cut back any pre-existing cheese in these recipes):

Simply to flag just a few stand-outs: I feel the Pear Salad wold be spectacular with halloumi as an alternative of blue cheese (fruit + salty cheese + honey + nuts = 💯) as would the French Heat Goats Cheese Salad (made with halloumi as an alternative of goats cheese) and the Pearl Couscous Salad (I really feel like halloumi + brilliant lemon dressing + slippery garlicky pearl couscous can be a house run).

Or – simply skip the greenery and persist with my #1 methodology of consuming it: with fingers, standing within the kitchen! 😂 – Nagi x

Watch how you can make it

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Golden Halloumi with Honey and Thyme

Creator: Nagi

Prep: 3 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner: 3 minutes minutes

Appetiser, Snack, Starters

Greek, Western

Servings1 Nagi

Faucet or hover to scale

Recipe video above. It is inconceivable to withstand devouring golden fried halloumi straight from the pan, when it is crispy on the floor and gooey inside. And why ought to we? It is so nice plain! However sooner or later, attempt it with a drizzle of honey and sprinkle of thyme. It’s Outrageously Scrumptious (caps intentional) and a 2-second-way to decorate up halloumi if you’ve acquired firm.Serve with heat pita bread, olives, and a superb olive oil for a easy but totally satisfying starter.Tip: Deal with the slices fastidiously in order that they maintain collectively (there’s a partial crack in the course of halloumi blocks).

Directions

Abbreviated recipe:

• Lower into 1 – 1.25cm / 0.4 – 0.5″ slices, pat dry. Pan fry within the oil on medium excessive till golden, serve on pre-warmed plate, with non-obligatory finishes.

Full recipe:

• Lower halloumi into 1-1.25 cm thick slices (0.4 – 0.5″) (see Observe 3). Place the slices on a paper towel and pat the floor dry.

• Heat a serving plate. (Observe 4)

• Warmth the oil in a non stick pan over medium excessive warmth.

• Fry – Rigorously place the halloumi within the pan (I take advantage of my fingers). Prepare dinner for 1 1/2 minutes or till the underside is golden. Shuffle if wanted in order that they prepare dinner evenly.

• Flip gently (I take advantage of a spatula + butter knife to information) and prepare dinner the opposite facet for 1 – 1/2 minutes till golden.

• Switch onto the serving plate.

• Non-compulsory finishes – Working rapidly, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with thyme and chilli flakes. I do full honey protection for some slices, and for others only a drizzle.

• Serve instantly, fast, earlier than the halloumi goes squeaky! 🙂 (Observe: Honey on the plate is right for bread mopping)

Recipe Notes:

1. Halloumi – Not all halloumi is made equal! Genuine halloumi is made in Cyprus (not Greece) and the higher manufacturers will likely be labelled PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) which is a stamp of authentication. Pretty broadly obtainable nowadays in Australian grocery shops, bought in packets with a little bit of watery brine inside.
2. Dried thyme simply isn’t the identical right here so I don’t suggest substituting with that. As a substitute, I’d use white sesame seeds or roughly chopped toasted walnuts, or simply honey and chilli flakes.
3. Chopping route – Lower the quick fringe of the block (see pictures in put up) so you’re reducing perpendicular by the often invisible crack in the course of the halloumi and every bit will maintain collectively. If you happen to minimize alongside the lengthy edge, the items will break up in two. Not the tip of the world, however it’s good to have bigger items (higher comfortable centres) whereas lengthy skinny items fry up extra crispy all over.
4. Plate warming – retains halloumi heat for a bit of longer. I do 30 seconds within the microwave on excessive.
Leftovers will hold for 3 – 4 days within the fridge, although it will get exhausting. I nonetheless eat it! 🙂 It does soften when reheated however it’s not the identical as freshly cooked.
Vitamin per serving, assuming 3 servings.

Vitamin Data:

Energy: 311cal (16%)Carbohydrates: 9g (3%)Protein: 17g (34%)Fats: 23g (35%)Saturated Fats: 13g (81%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 1gMonounsaturated Fats: 8gSodium: 909mg (40%)Potassium: 7mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 9g (10%)Vitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 757mg (76%)Iron: 0.1mg (1%)

Key phrases: fried halloumi, halloumi recipe

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