Grilled Halloumi & Peach Salad
Halloumi is a wonder ingredient, best when it sees a flame. Here I toss juicy peaches with wafer-thin courgette ribbons, nutty almonds fried in butter and slices of halloumi whipped straight from the barbecue to the plate (halloumi doesn't do sitting around). Ideal for sunshine and the outdoors.
Ingredients
6 small courgettes
4 peaches, cut into thick wedges
big handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
juice of 1 large lemon, plus extra to taste
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to taste
20g butter
50g skin-on almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
500g halloumi, cut into 1cm slices
Recipe
Light a barbecue an hour before you want to eat, or use a griddle pan.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the courgettes into long strips, rotating them around as you do and stopping when you get to the seedy centre (you can keep the middles for stewing in olive oil for a soup or side dish). Put the ribbons in a salad bowl with the peaches, mint leaves, lemon juice and 3 tbsp of the oil. Toss well and set aside.
Put a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the butter and season generously with salt and pepper. Melt the butter and cook it, swirling continuously, for 2-3 minutes until it starts darkening. Add the chopped almonds and paprika and cook for another minute or so until the butter is a dark, biscuit colour and the almonds are golden. Scatter the almonds and butter over the salad.
Rub the halloumi slices in the remaining 1 tbsp of oil, then place on the hottest part of the barbecue. Grill for 30-60 seconds on each side until char marks appear and they soften. Cut the halloumi pieces in half, toss into the salad and taste. You may want a scrunch more of black pepper, a squeeze more lemon juice or a touch more olive oil. Season appropriately and serve immediately.
Why not try grilled peaches with ice cream?
Preheat the grill to high. Halve and pit 3 ripe peaches and place in an ovenproof pan. Sprinkle over the finely grated zest 1/2 lemon, 7 tbsp coconut sugar (or use Demerara), 7 tsp chilli flakes and top each half with 1/2 tsp unsalted butter. Grill for 5-7 minutes until almost blackened and caramelised on top. Remove, allow to cool slightly, then serve in bowls with any pan juices and scoops of ice cream. Feeds 2.
IMAGE CREDIT: Tara Fisher