Easy Bacon Halloumi Bites Recipe | Kitchen Mason (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep halloumi from falling apart? ›

I'm often asked how I slice my halloumi without it splitting, so I thought I'd film a reel to show you exactly how I do it (it's really easy! 🙌). The key is to slice it on the narrower side of the block, rather than the larger side.

Slice a block 1-2cm thick and soak in hot water for at least three hours to make it more supple and remove excess salt (used to preserve the cheese).

My halloumi is too tough / rubbery

This can happen when it's cooked for too long in the oven, so next time try a lower cook time or thicker slices.

Here are some things you should know before cooking halloumi for the first time: Use a non-stick pan. This is especially important if you are frying the cheese in a dry pan without oil. Make sure the oil is well warmed.

Why do you soak halloumi before cooking? While completely optional, many swear by this step for a softer, more flavourful, and sweeter result that will set your halloumi apart from all others. The easiest method is to soak the whole block of cheese in cold water for at least two hours (or overnight if you have time).

It is the high pH (low acid) of the cheese that causes this non-melting characteristic. Although the cheese keeps its shape, its outward appearance turns into a crispy, golden-brown color when fried or browned and with grill marks when grilled, it softens significantly but it does not melt.

When eaten regularly in large quantities halloumi can be considered unhealthy, as this fried cheese is pretty high in saturated fat and salt. However, when eaten sporadically as part of a balanced diet, halloumi has a range of health benefits, as it's high in calcium and protein.

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. Just soak for 5 minutes, then pat dry with paper towel – patting dry is important to ensure the lovely golden crispy edges!

What is halloumi? 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.

This is because, unlike many cheeses, halloumi has a high pH, as no starter cultures are used in its production. It seems that when this dense casein network “rubs” against the enamel of the teeth, it produces a squeak. Other cheeses usually have a lower pH, which tends to make the casein more fragile.

Why is halloumi so expensive? ›

Halloumi is made out of sheep's milk, which is more expensive than cow's or goat's milk due to the animal milking production—though nowadays you can also find Halloumi varieties with a mix of these kinds of milk, thus lowering the price of the product.

Cheeses that have a high melting point can be fried. While the cheese melts slightly, it will generally retain its shape in the fryer or skillet. Popular fried cheese options are cheese curds, queso blanco, halloumi, paneer, mozzarella, bread cheese, certain cheddars, and provolone.

These halloumi fries are Middle Eastern style mozzarella sticks made with only 4 ingredients – flour, eggs, panko and non-melting halloumi!

Like mozzarella, it is made with rennet and usually cured in a brine solution for anywhere from a few days to a few months. The cheese picks up its non-melting, grillable super powers when the curds are cooked before shaping and brining. This cooking also gives halloumi a stretchy, chewy texture.

Halloumi needs a lot of pressing so that most of the whey is out. So.. not pressing enough might be one reason.. Another reason might be your cooking time in the whey. Halloumi needs to stay in the whey cooking for at least 20 minutes.

The chemistry gets more complicated here, but in simplified terms, the milk proteins become rigid so the cheese lacks stretch. After draining the whey, the fresh slabs of halloumi are sprinkled with salt and dried mint, then folded in half and placed in brine. That's why halloumi slices can look as if they have split.

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. Just soak for 5 minutes, then pat dry with paper towel – patting dry is important to ensure the lovely golden crispy edges!

Haloumi is a cheese from Cyprus that's firm, salty and briny. It's a bit like Greek feta. However, feta crumbles whereas halloumi does not crumble as well, halloumi goes golden brown when pan fried whereas feta does not, and feta semi-melts when heated whereas halloumi does not.