I was first introduced to Halloumi cheese by Cypriot friends of the family. Rightly so, since Halloumi is an appellation product of Cyprus. There are a lot of pretenders but the real deal comes from Cyprus.
Often called the squeaky cheese (it squeaks in your mouth when you chew it), holds up well when grilled, pan-fried, deep-fried and now….broiled. Inspiration came from an Instagram post by @grazeandgorge.
This is a real easy dish to prepare, a stunning presentation when you serve and of course, easy to eat!
Broiled Halloumi With Honey, Lemon, Herbs
(serves 2)
1 slab of Halloumi cheese, about 1 inch thick
extra-virgin olive oil
lemon juice
honey
fresh herbs of your choice (mint, lemon verbena, oregano, savory, thyme)
- Pre-heat your broiler to high. Using a sharp pairing knife, make a cross-hatch patter on the top (be careful that you don’t split the cheese).
- Place your cheese on a baking sheet or oven safe vessel. Drizzle top of cheese with olive oil, place on the upper rack in oven and broil for approx. 8 minutes or until golden brown.
- Carefully remove from the oven. To open the cheese up (as seen in my photos) for a nice presentation, carefully slide an inverted tablespoon under the cheese and gently press the cheese down to open-up the cheese and better show the cross-hatch pattern.
- Drizzle with honey, squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle herbs of your oven.
- Serve with warm pita bread wedges.
