I really enjoyed this dish as a starter. It fills the eyes, it looks exotic and there’s a lot of colour and flavour going on here. The star of the plate has to be all-Canadian BC (British Columbia) spot prawns. These prawns are in season from May and they can appear in markets for up to t he next 80 days.

They are caught using traps, fished by a highly regulated industry and sustainable. These prawns are valued for their unique markings when live and when cooked, they are sweet and firm.

The co-stae of this dish is Halloumi cheese, a wonderful product from the island of Cyprus that’s also a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). My love of Halloumi is probably only second to Feta. Halloumi is most often made of primarily sheep’s milk cheese, it’s semi-firm, briny and it’s well-known for holding up well to heat – great for pan-frying or grilling.

Fully aware that some of you may not have access to all the Greek ingredients that I have, you may order your Halloumi (shipped only inside the US). Christos Marketplace not only offers Halloumi but three different brands! Why not order one of each and see which one you like best?

The third specialty ingredient in this dish is Mastiha, a resin that leeches from these trees that grow only on the southern part of the island of Chios. Chios Mastisha is another PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) product and it’s considered a spice. This gum is usually bought in tears (looks like yellowish pebbles) or sometimes ground. I buy the Mastiha tears, store in a jar and ground-up as needed. The flavour is quite unique, hard to describe but it’s a must when making Greek Easter bread (Tsoureki), appears in many Greek sweets and as evidenced in today’s dish, it also appears in some savory dishes.

The remaining ingredients are readily available. We have couscous, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and some chopped fresh basil. You can take this dish in many directions, make it as complex or as simple as you wish: I chose to roast the cherry tomatoes but you may keep them raw (as long as they are very sweet). I pan-fried the prawns and the Halloumi on this occasion but why not grill both the prawns and Halloumi now that the warm grilling season is here?

The couscous is scented with the Mastiha resin. As per usual, bring some seasoned water up to a boil, add the dry couscous and take off the heat and cover. The couscous will have absorbed all the liquid and all that is needed is to fluff the couscous with a fork and add the ground mastiha at that moment. To ground mastiha, place small tear of mastiha in your freezer for about 30 minutes and then remove. Place between cling film and crush with your rolling pin. Open the cling wrap and carefully remove your ground mastiha.

This appetizer/meze is a wonderful first course that’s a great sharing dish. Scoop up some couscous with a prawn and some Halloumi and place on your plate. A bite of the shrimp, a nibble of Halloumi, a burst of basil and warm mouthful of mastiha-scented couscous is how this dish might play. Switch it up, place a forkful of couscous in your mouth, then a cherry tomato and cheese, finish off with a bite of shrimp and some lemon juice.

I think you get the point, it’s a fun dish, lots of flavours going on here, well-matched and a wonderful start to a dinner with family and friends.

Grilled Prawns With Halloumi

(appetizer for 4)

4 medium to large prawns, peeled and de-veined

sea salt & fresh ground pepper

1 small clove of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. hot paprika (or combine sweet paprika with some chill flakes)

12 cherry tomatoes

2-3 slices of Halloumi cheese

all-purpose flour for dredging

1 cup of dry couscous

1 cup of hot water

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. of ground mastiha

Latholemono Dressing for Prawns

4 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. of lemon zest

1 Tbsp. Chopped fresh basil for garnish plus small wedges of lemon

1. Pre-heat a small toaster-style oven to 350F. Add your cherry tomatoes to a small roasting pan and add some olive oil and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until the tomatoes have shriveled a bit. Remove from the oven and set aside. At this point, Prepare the dressing by grating the lemon zest into the olive oil and set aside.
2. In the meantime, place some water in a small pot and bring to a boil, add the salt, scallions and the couscous and take off the heat and cover. The couscous will have absorbed all the water after about 5-6 minutes. Remove the lid, add the ground Mastiha and fluff with a fork. Adjust seasoning and set aside (covered to keep warm).
3. Toss your prawns in some olive oil and season with salt, pepper, the minced garlic and hot paprika. Place a skillet on your stove-top and and add a glug of olive oil. Pan-fry your prawns until pink on both sides (1 1/2 mins./side) and reserve.
4. Lightly dredge your slices of Halloumi in some all-purpose flour. In the same pan, add some more olive oil (if needed) over medium-high heat and pan-fry your cheese for about a 1 1/2 mins./side.
5. Place your reserved cherry tomatoes (and juice) and prawns in the still warm pan and gently swirl to just warm them through. Spoon your couscous on your serving plate/platter. Cut each piece of Halloumi diagonally in half (to form two smaller triangles. Place alternating prawn and Halloumi pieces on your bed of couscous and arrange the cherry tomatoes around the plate along with the juices.
6. Spoon the olive oil and lemon zest mixture over the prawns and sprinkle the chopped fresh basil over the entire platter and serve with small wedges/pieces of lemon.
7. Serve with a Papagiannakos Savatiano. This crisp white from Attiki (central Greece) has its citrus flavours and a slight effervescence.

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