Grilling: Halloumi and Watermelon Salad
I currently hail from Astoria, NY, where it's impossible to take a step without hitting a Greek restaurant. It didn't take me long to find an affinity to the cuisine indigenous to my neighborhood, and after being a resident for six years and counting, there have been more than a few extraordinary discoveries.
But none get me quite as much as halloumi, a salty hard cheese made of goat and sheep's milk that comes to life when grilled or pan fried. After cooked, I usually enjoy this cheese with a dash of lemon juice or stuffed in a pita with tzatziki and all the toppings, but I heard that Cypriots particularly like halloumi with watermelon--and that idea had "perfect summer salad" written all over it.
There really isn't much to grilling halloumi, just slice and slap it on a hot grill until it blisters, then it's done. It's best while still warm, so I made sure to have the watermelon cut, tossed with chiffonades of fresh mint, before heading to the grill with the cheese.
As soon as the cheese was beautifuly browned, I diced it, mixed it in with the watermelon and mint, and then added freshly ground black pepper to top it off. Despite the small list of the ingredients, every flavor was so unique that it became quite the complex salad; it was cool and warm, sweet and salty, spicy and minty, all of which combined to make a refreshing side that I can see fitting into almost any summer menu.
About the author: Joshua Bousel blogs about grilling on his blog, The Meatwave, and appears weekly here on Serious Eats during grilling season.
Grilled Halloumi & Watermelon Salad
Ingredients
1/2 large seedless watermelon
3 heaping tablespoons of chiffonades of fresh mint
1lb halloumi cheese, sliced into 1/2 inch tall strips
Freshly ground black pepper
Procedure
1. Light one chimney full of charcoal. While the charcoal is lighting, dice the watermelon into one-inch cubes and toss with the mint.
2. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals out evenly over the charcoal grate. Grill the halloumi until it browns and starts to blister on each side, about one to three minutes per side.
3. Immediately dice the halloumi into half-inch cubes and toss in with watermelon and mint. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
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15 Comments:
OPA!!!!
bisbee at 11:42AM on 07/25/08
Where can I find this cheese? I saw some at Whole Foods, but it was ridiculously overpriced.
gillsnthrills at 12:08PM on 07/25/08
OMG this looks AWESOME!
gillnthrills: I've made a similar recipe with feta? (the real goat-cheese kind) and it worked okay?
But I'm sure the halloumi would make the dish.
hungrychristel at 12:23PM on 07/25/08
@gillsnthrills: That'd be hard for me to answer, as almost every grocery in my neighborhood carries it. If there's a Greek or Mediterranean specialty store near you, they might have it or know where you can get it. Traditional halloumi is made with sheep and goat's milk and is supposed to handle being grilled and fried much better than its industrial counterpart, which is made with cow's milk. If they have the real deal at Whole Foods, I'd say it's worth shelling out the extra cash.
Joshua Bousel at 12:25PM on 07/25/08
This looks really fantastic! What a great dish for summer!
tracychin at 1:19PM on 07/25/08
Brilliant! I love ideas like that. Check for local Greek markets, they have the best halloumi.
John
http://myspicekitchencurries.blogspot.com/
myspicekitchen at 2:00PM on 07/25/08
I love halloumi. I was first introduced to it years ago when I was in college and working for Zingerman's.
I don't live in a Greek neighborhood, so I rarely see it. The one time I went to Hot Doug's, he was offering a chicken sausage with halloumi. I was thrilled. Hot Doug's is like a mile from where I live. Greektown is like five miles. I'm going to have to start working on my halloumi issue with those two facts in mind.
I saw it at Whole Foods with previously noted absurd price. No way.
blackolive at 2:04PM on 07/25/08
I worked in Cyprus for four summers and have never heard of haloumi being served with watermelon (haloumi is usually served before or during dinner, watermelon, when served, is after dinner).
That said, this dish sounds delicious! I can't emphasize enough the authors note that the haloumi grilling should be done right before serving. It is rubbery to the point of actually squeaking with each chew when cold!
gastronormous at 2:14PM on 07/25/08
@gastronormous: I've actually never seen halloumi and watermelon served together either, but I've only been in Cyprus for a short 8 hours, so you'd know better. I've heard and read that people do eat it together, making this recipe born from rumor.
Joshua Bousel at 2:30PM on 07/25/08
Rumor or not, I can't wait to try it!
gastronormous at 3:41PM on 07/25/08
One of my favorite restaurants in Montreal serves an appetizer of haloumi doused with a shot of ouzo and set aflame. Marvelous!
kurteye at 6:44PM on 07/25/08
my greek friend introduced me to halloumi a few years back. just the concept of a chesse that you grill threw me for a loop! but oh man, it really is something amazing! absolutly worth a spending a little extra for.
sailordave at 9:18PM on 07/25/08
I am not sure how much "ridiculously overpriced" is, but there are several on-line sites to purchase halloumi cheese. This one is $5.95 for 8 oz.
Try a nexttag.com search.
AbuelaLinda at 10:30AM on 07/30/08
I wouldn't consider $5.95 for 8 oz ridiculous. I buy my halloumi fresh from a Greek specialty store, which runs $9.99/lb. If I was in an area where it was not so readily available, I'd assume it'd be a couple dollars more at the very least.
Joshua Bousel at 4:19PM on 07/30/08
Has anyone tried this cheese smoked? I'll bet it is great that way. How about with capers on the side?
I hung this one out for the Nola crowd.
Thanks,
Editilla~New Orleans Ladder
http://noladder.blogspot.com/
New Orleans News Ladder at 8:25PM on 07/30/08