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. Just soak for 5 minutes, then pat dry with paper towel – patting dry is important to ensure the lovely golden crispy edges!
To remove excess saltiness, soak the halloumi in cold water for 2 hrs, or overnight. Cut the halloumi into 4 long pieces and thread onto metal skewers, or wooden ones that have been soaked for 10 mins.
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.
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. 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.
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. Just soak for 5 minutes, then pat dry with paper towel – patting dry is important to ensure the lovely golden crispy edges!
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!
If you are wanting to store your Halloumi over a longer period, you need to store it in a brine solution that will raise the salt content, normally applied to Halloumi. For longer storage in the fridge, pack your Halloumi in jars and pour over a 8-10% brine solution.
Overview and preparation
Halloumi is often used in cooking, and can be fried until brown without melting due to its higher-than-typical melting point. This makes it an excellent cheese for frying or grilling (as in saganaki) or fried and served with vegetables, or as an ingredient in salads.
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.
The squeak is a friction phenomenon called stick-slip: the cheese sticks to your teeth, slips a bit, sticks again and so on. When cheese and teeth are stuck, the friction between them is high, and the cheese stretches, increasing the spring force in the cheese.
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.
Many people have never tried halloumi that way. That might be because you're not sure whether it's even okay to eat uncooked. Relax, we can verify that yes, halloumi is okay to eat uncooked.
For a cheese to melt it needs a protein structure that stretches in the frying pan or under the grill. Halloumi contains a tightly knit three-dimensional network of milk proteins that hold fast during cooking.
Preheat a skillet on medium heat. 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.
Nutritionally haloumi cheese contains slightly less fat (26 per cent) than regular cheddar cheese but more than double the sodium content thanks to the brine used to preserve it. Haloumi is delicious, and as such one of the biggest issues it poses is the risk of overeating.
Haloumi originates from the eastern Mediterranean coast, with close ties to Cyprus. It's been produced there by a multi-ethnic population for many centuries. It also has roots in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Turkey.
Brining adds a more full, salty flavor and it also discourages bad bacterial growth on the surface of the cheese. Brine can also be flavored with things such as beer, ale, spices, wine, or liquor. In any case, brining helps to develop the rind and overall flavor of your cheese.
Halloumi Cheese
Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese made from sheep's milk and preserved in brine. The technology for the manufacture of Halloumi cheese is unique. It can be considered as a hybrid between brined and pasta-filata cheese varieties.
Cheese like Parmesan, Romano, Feta and Edam are soaked in brine so that the salt is absorbed and it preserves the cheese.
"Halloumi is high in protein (to help you maintain and grow your lean muscle mass), contains calcium (for healthy bones and teeth), phosphorus (for bone health), zinc (for cognitive, immune and fertility functions), iodine (for thyroid and cognitive function) and vitamin A (to support your immunity, vision and skin)," ...
Halloumi is high in protein and calcium, both of which could promote bone health. Studies also show that high fat dairy products may be linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
Baked halloumi is another delicious way of cooking the Cypriot cheese. Pre-heat your oven 200°C (180ºC fan). Cut your halloumi into 5mm-1cm thick slices, then lay them in a single layer in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then place in the oven for 10-15 minutes; turning halfway through.
It is possible to get food poisoning from semi-soft white brined cheeses like Halloumi. Traditionally Halloumi is made from unpasteurized sheep and goat milk which can leave it susceptible to listeria contamination. Even when pasteurized and cooked, Halloumi food poisoning can occur if mishandled.
Halloumi will keep in the refrigerator for as long as a year, if it's unopened. Once opened, store it in the refrigerator in salt water in an airtight container for up to two weeks.