Should I soak haloumi before cooking? When you buy a packet of haloumi, it comes with a little salty brine. Simply patting the haloumi dry with paper towel will remove some of the saltiness, but you can also place it in a bowl of cold water to remove more of the salt, if you prefer.
Soak the halloumi in water for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours to remove the salty taste. I love the salty taste of halloumi, so I prefer not to soak it. However, if you find the kind you have to be too salty, the soak will help alleviate that. Allow the halloumi cheese to grill without touching it.
Halloumi should be soaked for a minimum of 3 hours maximum 6 hours. Cut each block into 8 slices. Give each cheese slice a light coating of olive oil. Place halloumi in hot frying pan and cook until browned on both sides, turning only once halfway.
Just 2 to 3 minutes on each side on a medium to high heat is all you need. Wait until just after the juices have evaporated, allow the halloumi to start to go golden brown, then flip onto the other side. Finally, it's best to eat it immediately after cooking.
- don't overcook the halloumi - a couple of minutes on each side is all it needs! You still want it to be soft, not totally crispy. - eat the halloumi within 5 minutes or so of cooking it - if you leave it to cool, it will become a little more rubbery.
Put the halloumi into a bowl and boil a kettle of water. Pour the boiling water over the halloumi and leave for 20 minutes. This will make the cheese really soft and smooth in the centre when cooked.
The reason is its high sugar content, which forms a film of syrup against your teeth.
If you're using non-stick, there's no need to add oil to the pan, but if not, add a dash of olive oil. Add halloumi slices to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side for another 1-2mins. Serve as is, or squeeze a little freshly lemon juice over the top.
Soaking, especially as here, with some lemon juice, leaches out halloumi's preserving salt, and also softens the cheese nicely. The result is that you'll taste and smell the farmy sweetness of the milk in the finished dish.
Originating from Cyprus, halloumi is a semi-hard, un-ripened, brined cheese that can be made from cow, sheep or goat's milk. It can be eaten raw but is truly delicious cooked, having a high melting point, makes it an excellent choice for grilling or frying.
Cut the cheese into 1-cm (1/2-inch) thick slices. Place the slices in a bowl and cover with cold water. This cheese is very salty. It is better to desalinate it for a few hours in the refrigerator, as needed.
Fry. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and arrange the halloumi sticks in one single layer. Cook on each side for 1 to 2 minute over medium-high heat, managing the heat down as needed, until all sides have crisped and turned a nice golden brown. Garnish and Serve immediately!
An unopened packet of halloumi will keep in the fridge for up to a year. Once opened store in salt water in the fridge.
Halloumi is also unique in having a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled. It is the high pH (low acid) of the cheese that causes this non-melting characteristic.
If your block of halloumi has a seam keep the uncut edge perpendicular to the direction you are slicing - this will stop the pieces falling apart. You don't need to add oil when cooking halloumi as it has quite a high fat content.
How to Serve Halloumi. Whether its raw, fried, or grilled, in Cyprus halloumi often accompanies cold beer, wine, or zivania (Cypriot tequila) and is always a part of a traditional Cypriot meze spread.
Once opened it's suggested that you consume it within 3 days. However, it will usually last longer than that. Most often, up to 5 days, especially if grilled and covered in a drizzle of olive oil. But, if your halloumi has gone bad it will smell like sour milk and have a slimy texture on the outside.
Feta is Greek brined curd white cheese made from sheep, goat, or cow's milk. Sometimes it can be a combination of two types of milk! Feta cheese is saltier than halloumi but holds its shape well when frying at high heat.
My halloumi melted
Since legitimate Cypriot halloumi can't melt / won't melt, the likely problem is that you're using an imitation which didn't follow all the rules of Cypriot halloumi making and therefore does have a melting point.
Halloumi is also great baked – add slices to an ovenproof dish and drizzle with olive oil and herbs or spices. It'll need about 10-15 minutes in a 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 oven. The halloumi soaks up the flavours whilst baking so it's an easy way to add extra welly to your dishes.
There are many cheeses that don't melt, including Lithuanian white cheese, queso fresco, juustoleipä (often called bread cheese), halloumi, and Indian paneer. Let's look at two different cheesemaking processes that result in a nonmelting cheese.
The halloumi base is typically made from unpasteurised goat's or sheep's milk, and sometimes cow's milk. The inclusion of dairy milk of any kind renders halloumi completely not vegan friendly, and should not be consumed by anyone strictly following a plant-based diet.
Traditional Halloumi is semicircular in shape, folded in two, about the size of a large wallet, and originally made from sheep and goat milk; however, our Halloom is produced from 100% Canadian cow's milk, as it is more readily available.
Halloumi is available in America, but it's quite expensive. This is because the majority of the cheese is imported from Cyprus. It can also be difficult to find as America only accounts for 10% of worldwide sales.