Seared Halloumi Slabs with Hot Honey, Lemon & Oregano

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Thick planks of halloumi, patted bone-dry and seared in a ripping-hot dry skillet until they wear a lacquered, blistered crust. Hit with warm chili honey, a hard squeeze of lemon and crushed oregano, they go from pan to plate in under a minute — squeaky inside, deep gold outside, exactly the way a good mezze plate should arrive.

Ingredients

• 16 oz halloumi cheese (two 8 oz blocks)
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the cheese
• freshly cracked black pepper

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 strips lemon zest, peeled wide
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 pinch flaky sea salt

• 1 whole lemon, halved
• 1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Greek on the branch
• 2 tbsp toasted pistachios, roughly chopped (optional)
• 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• warm pita or grilled bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Drain the halloumi and cut each block crosswise into slabs a generous 1/2 inch thick — you want 3 to 4 planks per block. Thin slices will melt and slump before they crust, so err thick.
2. Lay the slabs on a double layer of paper towels, cover with more paper towels, and press firmly. Let them sit 10 minutes, changing the towels once. The surface should feel dry and slightly tacky, not wet — this is the single thing that decides whether you get a lacquered crust or a steamy gray edge.
3. While the cheese dries, make the hot honey: combine the honey, red pepper flakes, lemon zest strips, water and a pinch of flaky salt in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, just until loose and fragrant — do not let it simmer hard or it will turn bitter and candy-thick. Pull off the heat and leave the zest steeping.
4. Heat a heavy cast-iron or carbon-steel skillet over medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes, until a flick of water skitters and evaporates on contact. Add no oil to the pan — halloumi has enough fat of its own, and a dry pan browns it harder.
5. Brush the slabs very lightly on both sides with the teaspoon of olive oil (just a film, blotted, not a coating) and crack black pepper over them.
6. Lay the slabs in the dry pan with at least a finger of space between them. Press each one down with a spatula for 5 seconds to guarantee full contact. Cook undisturbed 2 to 3 minutes, until the underside is deep amber with dark blistered patches. Resist moving them early — the crust needs to set before it will release.
7. Flip once and sear the second side 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Total time in the pan should stay under 5 minutes; past that the interior turns rubbery. Work in two batches if your skillet is crowded, wiping it out with a dry paper towel between rounds.
8. Move the seared slabs straight to a warm platter. Squeeze one lemon half generously over the hot cheese — it should hiss — then spoon the warm hot honey over the top, letting it pool.
9. Crumble the dried oregano between your palms over the plate, scatter pistachios and torn mint, add a final drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of flaky salt. Serve immediately with warm pita and the remaining lemon half alongside; halloumi is at its best within about 4 minutes of leaving the pan.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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