When I need a vegetarian recipe, this is one of my go-to’s and it never disappoints. There’s salty and sweet, but also the kick of chilli heat and the sour of lime. It’s just so delicious. I might serve this as a side dish or as a party food nibble, but I would also serve it as a vegetarian alternative to roast meat for a special lunch or dinner.
The trick for slicing hasselback halloumi is to use two spoons or wooden spoons. Place the spoon handles on either side of the block of halloumi to stop the knife going all the way through. Easy!
The great thing about halloumi is that it’s versatile. This works just as well with beers for the big game as it does for an elegant dinner party with the finest wine. How and when you serve this dish is completely up to you… It’s delicious either way and serves as an easy option for you whenever you need it. Let’s get started!
Ingredients
- 2 blocks of halloumi
- Zest & juice of 2 limes
- 2 red chillis chopped finely
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Knob of ginger, peeled and grated
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° Fan / 350°F.
- Drain and dry the halloumi with paper towels. Gently cut slices into it using the spoon method I described above. Slice it 3/4 of the way down so that it is sliced on one side and is still connected on the other. Set the blocks gently into a roasting tin and set aside.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture over the sliced blocks of cheese. Use a silicone pastry brush or a spoon if you don’t have one to brush it all over the cheese and gently try to manouvre some of it in between the slices. Don’t worry about this enough to break the cheese – if it doesn’t easily slide between the slices, keeping the good stuff on top is enough.
- Pop the roasting tin into the oven and roast for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden and melty. Baste the halloumi blocks with pan juices at least once or twice during the cooking. Serve hot with pan juices drizzled over the slices of halloumi.
