Cheese Fries, Remixed: How To Make Halloumi Fries
Cooking show host and food writer Jo Pratt has a new collection of vegetarian recipes out that will revitalize your repertoire and impress your dining guests. From the traditional to the brand-new, there's a recipe in here for every lover of vegetables at the table. These halloumi fries may make you ditch traditional cheese fries forever — snackers beware!
If you've never tried halloumi fries before, then you have to give these a go. Something incredible happens to the cheese when coated in flour and deep-fried: they become very moreish. I know that deep-fried cheese may not be the healthiest recipe, but when served with this crunchy chopped salad you can ease your conscience at least a little bit.
Flexible: Add a batch of sardine 'fries' to the halloumi. Dust 8 cleaned and deheaded sardines in the seasoned flour mixture and deep fry in the hot oil for 2–3 minutes until golden.
- sunflower oil
- 13 ounces halloumi cheese
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- 1 pita bread
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 head lettuce
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 1/4 cucumber
- 2 1/2 ounces radishes
- 3 spring onions
- small bunch parsley
- small bunch mint
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 4 tablespoons plain yogurt
- Flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Heat the oven to 400ºF. Brush the pita or flatbread with a little olive oil and bake for about 15 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool slightly, then break into small pieces.
- Cut the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber into small irregular chunks and put into a bowl with the radish, spring onions, parsley and mint. Toss with the lemon juice, a good glug of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside while you make the halloumi fries.
- Heat a pan or deep fat fryer no more than one-third full of sunflower oil to 350ºF. It will be hot enough when a small piece of bread dropped into it turns golden within 30 seconds.
- While the oil is heating, cut the halloumi into fry shapes. Combine the flour and paprika and toss the halloumi in it to coat. Fry in batches for a couple of minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper, serve onto plates and sprinkle with the sumac.
- Toss the baked pita into the fattoush and finish by scattering over the pomegranate seeds and drizzling with the pomegranate molasses and natural yogurt.