This is an unusual dish, a very contemporary Greek dish. Halloumi is a cheese from Cyprus, made from sheep or goat milk, or a mix, this is a cooking cheese that is prized for its stringy nature and salty taste. Fortunately, we are now able to find this cheese quite easily in Bangalore, India and I love using it in both salads and appetizers.
This dish is a lovely contrast of flavours, the salty stringy cheese is offset by the sweet-spicy salsa. they come together as a riot on your palate. I loved this combination and this is going to be a staple on my table. You can make this into more of a salad by adding tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs like mint and basil.
This contemporary cookbook on Greek food is a work of art, with beautiful photographs and a wealth of traditional recipes that have been reimagined. So far I have cooked a few recipes from here, Greek avocado toast, and they have all been amazing. I highly recommend this cookbook for those chefs who are looking to break out of the traditional Greek cuisine and for those who also want something new
For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.
Ingredients:
9 oz. halloumi cheese cut into 6 pieces
For the watermelon salsa:
2 cups watermelon, rind removed, seeded, and finely diced
2-3 spring onions, finely sliced
1/4-1/2 red chilli, minced
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
Mix all the ingredients for the salsa and allow the flavours to come together in the fridge for 1 hour at least.
To serve, heat a griddle pan or frying pan and fry the halloumi cheese till browned or streaked, about 1 minute on each side on a high flame. The cheese inside should be very soft and oozing.
Transfer to a platter or spoons. Top with the salsa and serve immediately. Encourage your guests to have this immediately so they can get the texture of the hot gooey cheese and the cold salsa.