Haloumi with Honey-Roasted Tomatoes | Recipe

This is the number-one requested cheese from our non-Greek friends and we don’t blame them. Haloumi is made from goat and sheep’s milk, with a tangy and salty flavour, and is best cooked in a hot pan to give you a nice charred flavour. Pairing the cheese with sweet, jammy, roasted tomatoes is a combination that will have everyone coming back for more. You can choose a variety of small and large tomatoes for prettiness, or just use cherry tomatoes, as we have done here, as they are sweeter and more flavoursome.

You can put this dish together super quickly – the tomatoes can be thrown in the oven just before your guests arrive, which gives you enough time to quickly jump in the shower and get ready. The haloumi can be fried once everyone is chatting away. 

Ingredients

600g cherry tomatoes on the vine
½ bunch oregano, leaves picked
2 tablespoons honey
80ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt flakes
2 × 250g flat blocks haloumi, sliced horizontally through the middle
½ teaspoon dried oregano

Makes a feast for 4

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Place the tomatoes in a large roasting tin and scatter with the oregano leaves. Drizzle over the honey, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the vinegar, and season with salt flakes. Roast for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are blistered and jammy. Set aside.

Pat dry the haloumi with paper towel, to remove the excess liquid. Heat the remaining oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat, add the haloumi and cook for 2–3 minutes each side, until golden brown.

To serve, place the haloumi in the roasting tin with the tomatoes and sprinkle with the dried oregano. Serve with plenty of fresh bread to soak up all of the beautiful juices.

Prep is your best friend:
If time is tight, roast the tomatoes a couple of hours before serving and keep them at room temperature. Haloumi is best pan-fried immediately before serving – if left to sit for too long, it will go hard and the texture will be unpleasant.