Halloumi With Quick Sweet Chilli Sauce

Submitted by Nigella Lawson

"There is something so compelling about this squeaky cheese, and my fridge is stocked with it at all times. Most regularly I treat it as vegetarian bacon, dry-fried in a hot pan then dolloped with a peeled, soft-boiled egg (I’d rather peel an egg, even when it’s hurty- hot, than poach one). But the idea for this recipe came to me one evening when I felt the need to counter the siren call of the halloumi’s saltiness with some sweet-and-heat. I use a copper pixie-pan for the quick sauce – which takes all of 4 minutes – but if you don’t have one, just make more and keep it afterwards in a sealed jar, heating up what you need on further occasions. (Recipe courtesy Simply Nigella)"

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Serves: 2

ingredients

• 3 fresh red chilies
• 2 tablespoons runny honey
• 1 lime, halved
• 225 g block halloumi cheese

• TO SERVE

• salad leaves, of your choice
• extra virgin olive oil, to taste

directions

1. Slice 2 of the chillies, leaving the seeds in, then de-seed the third and chop it into fine dice (this is for full-on fieriness; you may de-seed more cautiously if you wish) and add to a small pan – ideally, the sort sold as a butter-melting pan – along with the honey, and squeeze in 1 teaspoon of lime juice from one half of the lime. Put the pan on the smallest ring on the hob and bring to a bubble, then turn the heat down low, and let it foam away for 4 minutes. Stir frequently and do not leave the pan unattended, otherwise it will foam over the hob. Remove from the heat.
2. Before you turn to the halloumi, arrange a few salad leaves on 2 plates, and pour as much or as little oil over them as you want. Cut the un-juiced half of the lime into wedges, and pop one on each plate if so wished.
3. Slice the halloumi block into 8 pieces, and heat a cast-iron or heavy-based frying pan. When it’s hot, add the slices and cook them – without any oil in the pan – for 30–60 seconds until they are tiger-striped underneath, then turn the slices over and cook until the underside is patchily bronzed, too.
4. Remove the halloumi to the salad-lined plates and spoon the lipstick-red pieces of chilli in their honeyed glaze over the cheese. Eat immediately. Not hard to do.
5. STORE NOTE: Transfer cooled leftover chilli sauce to a jar, then seal and store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.