Grilled Halloumi

The box says "The cheese that grills". It might just become a protein staple in my veggie diet because I am starting to have my doubts about the benefits of eating Trader Joes Beefless Strips every night. Delicious as they may be grilled with BBQ sauce. This will be the first of many posts about burnt or toasted cheese, one of the tastiest things on earth.

Halloumi comes from Cyprus and is traditionally made from sheep's milk. Its a firm, cooked curd cheese, like mozzarella, but they boil and salt the hell out of it. Then it is pressed into blocks, not stretched. It is by no means fat free, but for some reason, when you heat it, it browns and softens slightly (deliciously), but does not melt or release oil. When you bite into a slice, it is still a little bouncy and squeaks against your teeth in a very satisfying way.

Directions: Heat up your cast iron (or other non stick) skillet over a medium flame. Slice the cheese 1/4" thick. Rinse the salty brine off the slices and pat them dry (they will still be very salty). Put them right on the pan with no oil (though I always rub my iron skillet down with olive oil after I wash and re-season it). The cheese will release brine and whistle and squeak. It browns quickly so keep your spatula handy. Flip slices over to brown the other side and press down on the tops with your spatula so that they heat all the way through. Plate them with a squeeze of lemon juice on top and serve while warm with fresh fruits and/or vegetables to cut the salt.