- don't overcook the halloumi - a couple of minutes on each side is all it needs! You still want it to be soft, not totally crispy. - eat the halloumi within 5 minutes or so of cooking it - if you leave it to cool, it will become a little more rubbery.
Soak the halloumi in water for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours to remove the salty taste. I love the salty taste of halloumi, so I prefer not to soak it. However, if you find the kind you have to be too salty, the soak will help alleviate that. Allow the halloumi cheese to grill without touching it.
Should I soak haloumi before cooking? When you buy a packet of haloumi, it comes with a little salty brine. Simply patting the haloumi dry with paper towel will remove some of the saltiness, but you can also place it in a bowl of cold water to remove more of the salt, if you prefer.
Halloumi should be soaked for a minimum of 3 hours maximum 6 hours. Cut each block into 8 slices. Give each cheese slice a light coating of olive oil. Place halloumi in hot frying pan and cook until browned on both sides, turning only once halfway.
Baked Halloumi.
To bake it, put your block or thick slabs or slices of cheese in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and your favorite herbs, if desired, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes in a medium-heated oven until soft.
Put the halloumi into a bowl and boil a kettle of water. Pour the boiling water over the halloumi and leave for 20 minutes. This will make the cheese really soft and smooth in the centre when cooked.
An unopened packet of halloumi will keep in the fridge for up to a year. Once opened store in salt water in the fridge.
To remove excess saltiness, soak the halloumi in cold water for 2 hrs, or overnight. Cut the halloumi into 4 long pieces and thread onto metal skewers, or wooden ones that have been soaked for 10 mins.
Soaking, especially as here, with some lemon juice, leaches out halloumi's preserving salt, and also softens the cheese nicely. The result is that you'll taste and smell the farmy sweetness of the milk in the finished dish.
Bake it. Halloumi is also great baked – add slices to an ovenproof dish and drizzle with olive oil and herbs or spices. It'll need about 10-15 minutes in a 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 oven. The halloumi soaks up the flavours whilst baking so it's an easy way to add extra welly to your dishes.
If you're using non-stick, there's no need to add oil to the pan, but if not, add a dash of olive oil. Add halloumi slices to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side for another 1-2mins. Serve as is, or squeeze a little freshly lemon juice over the top.
An unopened packet of halloumi can actually remain edible for up to a year if stored in a refrigerator. Once opened, the shelf life is approximately two weeks but can be extended by placing the halloumi in a saltwater solution. Halloumi is also suitable for freezing.
Originating from Cyprus, halloumi is a semi-hard, un-ripened, brined cheese that can be made from cow, sheep or goat's milk. It can be eaten raw but is truly delicious cooked, having a high melting point, makes it an excellent choice for grilling or frying.
Once opened it's suggested that you consume it within 3 days. However, it will usually last longer than that. Most often, up to 5 days, especially if grilled and covered in a drizzle of olive oil. But, if your halloumi has gone bad it will smell like sour milk and have a slimy texture on the outside.
Squeaking against the teeth is a characteristic of halloumi's texture. The reason why lies in the fact that it contains a large amount of the milk protein casein in its intact form, which creates a dense network.
Frying this cheese brings out a beautiful, salty (some would say briney) flavour in the cheese. It's great for salads and side dishes because you can serve it cold or two days old, and it will still taste nice. You can add this tasty cheese to salads as well as serve it on its own.
It's also important not to overcook it. Just 2 to 3 minutes on each side on a medium to high heat is all you need. Wait until just after the juices have evaporated, allow the halloumi to start to go golden brown, then flip onto the other side. Finally, it's best to eat it immediately after cooking.
Feta is Greek brined curd white cheese made from sheep, goat, or cow's milk. Sometimes it can be a combination of two types of milk! Feta cheese is saltier than halloumi but holds its shape well when frying at high heat.
You could 'toast' halloumi in a sandwich maker (also called a sandwich press or toastie maker), though. Just slice and put it in a hot sandwich maker to cook through. There's no need to use oil.
Halloumi may have a lingering taste of salt due to being stored in brine. If this is the case, simply rinsing the cheese can remove the salt. Soaking the halloumi in lemon juice or milk can also take away some of the saltiness.
Halloumi is also unique in having a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled. It is the high pH (low acid) of the cheese that causes this non-melting characteristic.
Many people have never tried halloumi that way. That might be because you're not sure whether it's even okay to eat uncooked. Relax, we can verify that yes, halloumi is okay to eat uncooked.
If you wrap the cheese in parchment paper or cheese paper before placing it in an airtight container, you can store the halloumi in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Halloumi will keep in the refrigerator for as long as a year, if it's unopened. Once opened, store it in the refrigerator in salt water in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Or wrap it tightly in waxed paper, parchment paper or cheese wrap.