Halloumi Fries
It’s just fried cheese
You’re damn right.
Well no, it’s not just any cheese. Halloumi is a semi-hard (ayyy), unripened, brined cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled.
Even still, not all halloumi is created equally. Some brines are saltier than others, some imbue more liquids in the cheese, and the sliding scale of potential is very non-binary.
On this show, we experimented with 3 different brands of Halloumi. One was a pricy fancy greek version, one was somewhat-generic, and one was surprisingly cheap and from a spanish brand. Curveball!
Halloumi Fries
Ingredients
Halloumi, comes in a sealed brick, various sizes/weights
3 quarts peanut, canola, or sunflower oil
seriously that’s it
er, maybe some salt?
a few sprigs of chopped parsley if you run a damn cooking show and need impressive plating
Instructions
Unwrap your halloumi and cut into strips. The length and width can vary to your tastes, but we went with strips that roughly resembled steak fries.
Lay your slices of halloumi out on a layer of paper towels. This is an important step if you’re not sure about the water content of your halloumi. Too much water in the fry can lead to Danger™.
Heat oil in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven (or just a deep enough pan to get the skimmer in and out) to 400ºF. Check temperature with a deep fry thermometer.
While your oil is heating and your halloumi is laid out on paper towels, occasionally pat all sides of the slices dry with a paper towel. Again, important for water content!
When the oil has reached 400º, begin frying the halloumi slices, one skimmer spider batch at a time. About 5-7 slices per batch.
Cook the slices, turning once, until a golden brown color is achieved.
Remove with skimmer, rest on a plate with optional paper towels, let cool slightly, and enjoy some of that good good deep fried cheese! 🦅
