Make your own halloumi

There’s no contest between homemade halloumi and the storebought kind, writes Cathy Barrow

WHEN I’m asked why I make my own jam, pickles, cheese or bacon, the first reason that comes to mind is: It’s more delicious. But it’s also plain old fun, and a little bit of magic.

The sleight of hand with which I convert a bottle of milk into a round of cheese never fails to thrill me.

Now that dairy-fresh milk, pasteurised but not homogenised, is more widely available, the DIY approach provides a chance to experience the difference in flavour and texture when cheese is free of stabilisers and other additives.

My latest cheese project is halloumi, a tasty, firm slab that could become your new go-to afternoon nibble, midnight snack or topping for a breakfast salad.

This Mediterranean speciality is one of several fresh cheeses found across the globe, such as fromage blanc, paneer and queso fresco, many of which require nothing more than rennet to coagulate milk solids into a dairy staple and a few minutes here and there over the course of an afternoon.

Halloumi is categorised as a “semihard” cheese; firmness is defined by moisture content, which is further determined by the temperature at which the milk is cultured and at which the cultured curds are cooked. A chewy cheese that squeaks against the teeth, halloumi can be marinated or fried or grilled until crisped on the outside.

Rennet is essential for making halloumi; it aids coagulation and is available as either an animal- or vegetable-based product, liquid or tablet. A small box or bottle will be viable for a year, tucked away in the refrigerator.

Equipment wise, you’ll need a non-reactive pot, such as a stainless-steel or enamel-lined one, plus a long roundedged palette knife and a thermometer.

I like to use a cheese basket to mould a tidy form, but a plastic produce basket or a small colander works just as well.

To elevate that mould above the whey that collects below, I use a deep dish and a draining mat: i.e. a bamboo sushi rolling mat. But a folded cotton tea towel will do the job, too. Once drained, the halloumi needs to be stretched and salted.

It must be simmered in its whey until heated through and through.

It’s transferred to a bowl of cool water, then to a draining board for pressing and stretching while the cheese is still slightly, uncomfortably hot to the touch. So be brave and work quickly.

Some halloumi is sold brined, but this is fresh, so the flavour and consistency of your DIY halloumi are best enjoyed right away. I’ve refrigerated halloumi that’s wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to two weeks.

I like to cut halloumi into cubes and fry them in a little oil until crisped and browned on all sides, then douse them with excellent olive oil, plenty of lemon juice and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes. Add a handful of cherry tomatoes, a few kalamata olives and chunks of seeded cucumber, and you’ve got a dangerously delicious snack.

Cathy Barrow is the author of Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry: Recipes and Techniques for Year-Round Preserving (R518 on Loot.co.za)