Halloumi Cheese
© Denzil Green
Halloumi is a cheese that is popular in Greece and Cyprus. It is a mild, semi-hard cheese made from goat’s, sheep’s or cow’s milk.
After being made, it is preserved and shipped in brine.
It is almost always used in cooking rather than eaten raw. Raw, it is quite rubbery, and even makes a squeaking sound when cut. Unlike most cheeses, it doesn’t melt all over the place when heated, it stays in one place. This makes it great for barbequing or frying in thick slices, as the surface browns nicely, the inside gets tender, and it stays all in one piece, not dripping through the grates.
Don’t make the slices too thin, though, or they will just burn and get tough. You can fry it in a non-stick pan without olive oil if you want, or if frying in a regular frying pan, dip slices in seasoned flour then fry in olive oil. When barbequing, oil the grate — or oil the kebab sticks, if you are making kebabs with it.
Substitutes
Consider some of the Mexican cheeses which don’t melt when heated, such as Queso Blanco or Asadero.