Ahh, Ambrosia; so filled with floral nectar on the nose and honey-sweetness on the palate, that it could well have found itself at home in the hands of the Greek gods for whom it’s named. I’ve chosen to keep the Greek theme going, with a heavenly Hellenic pairing of halloumi and honey, combined with the crisp crunch of this sensational new-season apple and herbaceous hints of oregano – opa! While most grilled halloumi recipes will have you hack into the block before it hits the heat, we’re treating the cheese like a steak, sliced after searing, and served at the table with a tumbling of fresh aromatic, Ambrosia apple and honey salsa. If you’d prefer to grace your guests with more than a single slice, add an extra apple and an extra block of halloumi, and serve across two plates on either side of the table.
Recipe supplied by Montague
Ingredients
- Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tablespoon runny honey
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano, plus extra for garnish
- 1 Ambrosia apple
- ½ cup radish sprouts or other leaves (optional but excellent)
- 200g Halloumi block (see tips)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Method
Make the salsa dressing by combining the lemon zest, juice, honey, olive oil, chopped oregano and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper, in a small bowl, whisk and set aside.
Cut the apple into 3mm x 3mm cubes (I find slicing this type of apple into rings, then stacking and slicing again into batons, and then dicing works best). Toss apple cubes through the dressing to coat, and pop in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes to let the ingredients get friendly.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat. Oil the haloumi liberally, then pop a square of baking paper in the bottom of the pan, and the haloumi block on top. Cook until the cheese is quite browned, then flip and cook on the other side – around 3 minutes a side should do it. Drain on kitchen towel, and cut on the diagonal into thick slices.
Arrange your chosen leaves with a flourish at the base of your serving plate, and perch the halloumi slices on top. Pop plenty of apple salsa across the haloumi, and finish with the reserved oregano, another crack of pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.
Tips
You can use other grill-friendly cheeses like Saganaki, also the name of the Greek double-handled frying pan used to fry Greek-style cheese such as Graviera, Kefalograviera and Kefalotyri. You can also look out for “Saganaki”, sold in most supermarkets and delis.
The apple salsa will keep, and even build in flavour over time – you could make it up to a day in advance of serving if need be, as the lemon will keep the apple from browning, too.