Golden Halloumi with Honey and Thyme

Recipe above. It's impossible to resist devouring golden fried halloumi straight from the pan, when it's crispy on the surface and gooey inside. And why should we? It's so great plain! But one day, try it with a drizzle of honey and sprinkle of thyme. It is Outrageously Delicious (caps intentional) and a 2-second-way to dress up halloumi when you've got company.

Serve with warm pita bread, olives, and a good olive oil for a simple yet thoroughly enjoyable starter.

Tip: Handle the slices carefully so they hold together (there is a partial crack in the middle of halloumi blocks).

Ingredients

• ▢225-250g/ 8oz halloumi block, Cyprus made PDO stamped recommended (Note 1)
• ▢2 tbsp olive oil

Optional finishing:

• ▢1 1/2 tbsp honey (eyeball it), sub maple syrup
• ▢1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves and tiny sprigs , (sub heaped ¼ tsp white sesame seeds, 1.5 tbsp roughly chopped roasted walnuts or pistachios) (Note 2)
• ▢2 – 3 pinches chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), optional

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Instructions

Abbreviated recipe:

• Cut into 1 – 1.25cm / 0.4 – 0.5″ slices, pat dry. Pan fry in the oil on medium high until golden, serve on pre-warmed plate, with optional finishes.

Full recipe:

• Cut halloumi into 1-1.25 cm thick slices (0.4 – 0.5") (see Note 3). Place the slices on a paper towel and pat the surface dry.
• Warm a serving plate. (Note 4)
• Heat the oil in a non stick pan over medium high heat.
• Fry – Carefully place the halloumi in the pan (I use my hands). Cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until the underside is golden. Shuffle if needed so they cook evenly.
• Turn gently (I use a spatula + butter knife to guide) and cook the other side for 1 – 1/2 minutes until golden.
• Transfer onto the serving plate.
• Optional finishes – Working quickly, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with thyme and chilli flakes. I do full honey coverage for some slices, and for others just a drizzle.
• Serve immediately, quick, before the halloumi goes squeaky! 🙂 Though actually, the squeak doesn’t bother me but it's at its prime straight out of the pan when the surface is still crisp and the inside is soft. (Note: Honey on the plate is ideal for bread mopping)