I was always a bit wary of Haloumi.
We love our Brie and Camembert, and a bit of marinated feta, but Haloumi just looked too odd to me.
I'd heard it was rubbery too, and that was a bit off-putting.
Well let me tell you, that Haloumi is divine as breakfast with some rustic toast, gorgeous as a lunch with a lemon wedge on the side, served on a bed of greens and some sweet relish, and a great alternative to meat if you want a meat free dinner.
My daughter calls it 'squeaky cheese' as it does indeed, squeak when you chew it.
It also has a lovely mild flavour that was a surprise to me, as I'd always thought it was something that would be quite pungent and unappetising (to me at least)!
But this year, we're serving Haloumi for Christmas breakfast. We're all a bit over the whole Ham and Eggs deal. All that needs cooking is the Haloumi, which is done in mere minutes, and it's on the table in no time at all, with minimal cleanup. You can barbecue the Haloumi too.
I'm serving it with Maple Syrup Pecans and crisp juicy watermelon cubes, and some greens. The combination of the pan fried salty cheese, the sweet cold watermelon, and the maple syrup nuts, is a great contrast.
Here's the recipe...
Haloumi Christmas Brunch
Serves 8
You'll need:
2 x 180gm packets of Haloumi
1 x quarter seedless watermelon
1 handful Pecan nuts
Maple syrup or maple syrup topping (the real stuff is best, but it doesn't really matter)
1 handful per person of Rocket or Baby Spinach
Lemon wedges to serve
Then just:
Make the Maple Syrup Pecans by following my recipe using walnuts in the forum, which is here.
Set out the correct number of plates and place a handful of greens on each.
Cut the watermelon into large cubes, and divide it evenly between the plates.
Cut the Haloumi into slices, and pan fry or BBQ until well browned and piping hot.
Serve the Haloumi over the greens and watermelon, with the Maple Syrup Pecans on top. Serve the lemon wedges on the side.
Yum!
