Halloumi – When Cheese Meets the Grill
We are all familiar with the classic grilled cheese sandwich, but have you ever grilled a cheese like Halloumi on its own without the bread? Who knew the BBQ had such versatility from meats to vegetables, fruit and now cheese! It’s a beautiful thing 🙂
When it comes to grilling cheese it is important to note that not all cheese can be thrown on the grill with the same results across the board. There are specific cheeses on the market that are solely made for the BBQ or a grill pan. Halloumi, the king of grilling cheese, is a salty semi-hard goat and sheep milk cheese. Due to its high melting point this cheese is definitely one that is suitable for the grill. In its raw state, Halloumi is dense and hard; not exactly the kind that you would want to display on your next cheese board. Once grilled or pan-fried, its exterior turns crispy and golden-brown while the inside softens without melting.
Now that Halloumi has been identified as a top grilling cheese, the next step is preparation of the cheese and the grill. Simplicity is best when it comes to dressing up your Halloumi. Cut thick slices and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil with a little bit of sea salt and you are good to go.
Follow these steps to prepare the grill:
1. Let the grill heat up well with the lid closed. Food sticks to cold grates so it is very important to ensure a nice hot grill surface to prevent the cheese from sticking to the grates.
2. Open the lid to let some of the heat out and turn the burners down low.
3. With tongs, place the cheese on the grates. The olive oil combined with the cold temperature outside will produce a lot of initial smoke and sizzle.
4. Close the lid and let the cheese grill and smoke for about a minute with low heat until flipping it to the other side.
5. Once the cheese looks perfectly grilled on each side, remove and enjoy!
While the grilled Halloumi can be delicious on its own, the warmth of the cheese added to a sandwich or salad is a great complement to any meal. Give it a try at your next summer BBQ and let us know what kind of feedback you receive. It’s easy, it’s unique and it’s good!
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Until next time,
Sabrina
