'Cheese and Olives’: Halloumi with Spicy Olives and Walnuts

by Noor Murad, featured in Lugma

Published by Quadrille

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Introduction

This works really well for brunch, alongside soft-boiled eggs, but can just as easily be eaten as a light lunch or dinner. Feel free to make this vegan, by swapping out the halloumi for fried and salted tofu.

For US measures and ingredient names, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

Lugma

Image of Noor Murad's Cheese and Olives — Photo by Matt Russell

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Metric U.S.

FOR THE SALSA

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
2 teaspoons coriander seeds (roughly crushed using a pestle and mortar)
1 teaspoon Aleppo chilli flakes
70 grams jarred red capsicum peppers (very finely chopped)
1 tablespoon rose harissa
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons maple syrup
50 grams walnuts (well toasted and roughly chopped into 1cm / ½in pieces)
70 grams pitted Nocellara olives (roughly chopped)
5 grams mint leaves (roughly chopped)
10 grams fresh parsley leaves (roughly chopped)
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses

FOR THE HALLOUMI

2 x 225 grams blocks of halloumi (drained)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup

FOR THE SALSA

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
2 teaspoons coriander seeds (roughly crushed using a pestle and mortar)
1 teaspoon Aleppo chile flakes
2½ ounces jarred red bell peppers (very finely chopped)
1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1¾ ounces walnuts (well toasted and roughly chopped into 1cm / ½in pieces)
2½ ounces pitted Nocellara olives (roughly chopped)
⅛ ounce mint leaves (roughly chopped)
¼ ounce fresh parsley leaves (roughly chopped)
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses

FOR THE HALLOUMI

8 ounces blocks of halloumi (drained)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup

Method

'Cheese and Olives’: Halloumi with Spicy Olives and Walnuts is a guest recipe by Noor Murad so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

Make the salsa by adding the oil and garlic to a small frying pan (skillet) and placing it over a medium heat. Cook until beginning to bubble and smell fragrant, about 1½ minutes, then add the coriander seeds and chilli and cook for about 30 seconds more. Stir in the peppers, harissa, vinegar and maple syrup and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
Halve each of the halloumi blocks lengthways (so they are the same shape, but thinner now) to give you four rectangular pieces. Pat them well dry. Use a small sharp knife to make a criss-cross pattern across one side of each piece, with incisions about 1.5cm (5/8in) deep.
Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the halloumi pieces and fry until nicely golden on both sides, about 4–5 minutes in total. Transfer to a small tray, criss-cross side up, and pour over the excess oil left in the pan, followed by the maple syrup. Bake for 7 minutes, or until really nicely softened through the centre.
Transfer to a plate, pouring over any juices left in the tray, then spoon over the salsa. Serve right away, while the halloumi is still warm.

Make the salsa by adding the oil and garlic to a small frying pan (skillet) and placing it over a medium heat. Cook until beginning to bubble and smell fragrant, about 1½ minutes, then add the coriander seeds and chilli and cook for about 30 seconds more. Stir in the peppers, harissa, vinegar and maple syrup and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
Halve each of the halloumi blocks lengthways (so they are the same shape, but thinner now) to give you four rectangular pieces. Pat them well dry. Use a small sharp knife to make a criss-cross pattern across one side of each piece, with incisions about 1.5cm (5/8in) deep.
Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the halloumi pieces and fry until nicely golden on both sides, about 4–5 minutes in total. Transfer to a small tray, criss-cross side up, and pour over the excess oil left in the pan, followed by the maple syrup. Bake for 7 minutes, or until really nicely softened through the centre.
Transfer to a plate, pouring over any juices left in the tray, then spoon over the salsa. Serve right away, while the halloumi is still warm.