ROASTED ONION SALAD WITH FRIED HALLOUMI

You can’t beat the classic combination of cheese and onion. This salad is great on its own, or you can try it with roast chicken or pork, if you like.

CARB COUNT: 22-15g per person

Serves 4-6

Olive oil, for frying

4 banana shallots, skin on, cut in half with the root ends left intact

3 onions, skin on, cut in half with the root ends left intact

200ml (7fl oz) chicken stock 50g (1¾oz) butter

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium leeks, trimmed

2tbsp lemon thyme leaves

2 x 225g packs of halloumi cheese, cut into 2cm (¾in) slices 1 romaine lettuce, roughly cut into pieces

A bunch of spring onions, trimmed and cut into 2cm

(¾in) pieces

1tbsp red wine vinegar

4tbsp salad cream

15g (½oz) chives, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Heat a splash of oil in an ovenproof non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots, cut side down, and cook for 8-10 minutes until slightly soft and caramelised. Remove to a plate and place the onions, cut side down, in the pan. Cook for 10 minutes until caramelised, then turn them over and add the stock.

Place the pan in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the onions have softened and the stock has reduced. Remove and set aside, leaving the oven on. In a separate frying pan, heat the butter with 100ml (3½fl oz) water and some salt and pepper. Add the leeks to the buttery liquor (halve them if they’re too long to fit in the pan) and simmer, turning often, for 5-8 minutes to soften. Remove them from the pan and leave to cool, then cut into chunks.

Next, remove the onion halves from their skins. Keeping the root ends intact, pull the shallots apart to form ‘petals’. Place the onions, shallots and leeks on a baking tray. Mix in the thyme, then warm in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a splash of olive oil in a nonstick frying pan over a mediumhigh heat and fry the halloumi slices for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Drain the slices on kitchen paper.

Place the lettuce and spring onions in a large bowl. Add the onions, shallots, leeks, halloumi and vinegar. Toss to combine, then add the salad cream and chives and toss again, then serve.