Whenever we camp we have a tradition of starting our meal with griddled Halloumi cheese - sometimes we serve it with a side salad, occasionally it is on skewers, often it is just griddled and served with a squeeze of lemon juice or some sweet chilli sauce. I find it a really useful thing to have in the fridge for impromptu trips because it has such a long shelf life. It does have to be refrigerated or kept in a cool bag with ice blocks but that doesn't really pose too much of a problem.
The other day, our love of 'the squeaky cheese' as my kids called it when they were younger, got me thinking. Is it possible to make Halloumi cheese at home? It turns out it is not only possible but really very simple. It is also great fun and it will leave you feeling like a slightly mad professor as the milk reacts with the rennet, turning the milk into jelly which then turns into cheese!
I should say that it probably works out more expensive to make Halloumi at home in small batches than it does to buy it from the supermarket, but where is the fun in that? Also, if you make it yourself you know what has gone into it (no added preservatives for instance) and you will feel unbearably smug when you serve it up!
I should say that it probably works out more expensive to make Halloumi at home in small batches than it does to buy it from the supermarket, but where is the fun in that? Also, if you make it yourself you know what has gone into it (no added preservatives for instance) and you will feel unbearably smug when you serve it up!
The one thing to remember when you make cheese at home is that everything you use must be very very clean. For the most part this just means pouring boiling water over utensils and muslin cloth before you use them. That is about as complicated as it gets.
Before I get started, I should mention that, until you actually get to the point of cooking your cheese, it will look very unappealing and you will start to question your efforts and your sanity - have faith, it will all be worth it!
Before I get started, I should mention that, until you actually get to the point of cooking your cheese, it will look very unappealing and you will start to question your efforts and your sanity - have faith, it will all be worth it!
So, here goes with the recipe.........
INGREDIENTS
Halloumi Cheese
2L Whole Milk (can be pasteurised but mustn't be homogenised - it needs to have a layer of cream at the top like milk used to)
2 tsp Rennet (available in vegetarian or animal-based versions from good supermarkets and Lakeland Ltd)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Dried herbs (optional - we like mint and oregano)
Brine
1/2 L Whey (left over from the cheese making process)
1/2 L Boiling water
100g Salt
METHOD
In a wide-bottomed pan gradually brink the milk up to 32-36C. I use a meat thermometer for this part.
Add the rennet and stir gently. Cover the pan with a tea towel and leave it alone for an hour. It will set like a jelly - amazing! The 'jelly' is called curds.
Cut the curds into 1 inch cubes with a knife by making a grid pattern.
Cut the curds into 1 inch cubes with a knife by making a grid pattern.
Leave it for another half an hour to settle. The curds will come away from the watery whey and you will feel like a genius!
Next, bring the entire mixture up to 38C over a gentle heat over a period of about half an hour.
The next step is to scoop the curds into a perforated container such as a sieve lined with muslin. Make sure you have another container underneath to collect the whey. At this point, add any herbs you want to use, sprinkling them in as you go, along with some salt.
Leave it all to drain for about an hour (longer won't hurt).
Now you will need to poach the curds. Heat the whey to 85C in a large saucepan or deep frying pan. Add 1 tablespoon of salt.
Turn the curds out and cut them into slices about 2in thick (please don't measure them though - it isn't that critical).
Once the whey is at 85C, add the curd slices and watch and wait. When they rise to the top of the liquid, they are ready. Remove them with a slotted spoon and put them back into your draining container (sieve). At this stage, I use a plastic takeaway tray into which we have poked some drainage holes because it is rectangular and so it creates a block of halloumi that is easier to slice.
It will feel very wobbly at this stage but it will firm up as it cools down. Make sure you pack the soft cheese in and squash it down a bit.
Once cool and firm, it is ready to cook.
Put a little oil in to a hot pan and fry slices of the cheese for a couple of minutes on each side until it is brown. Alternatively, cook it over a hot griddle pan or a BBQ. Sometimes, if I can be bothered, I lightly coat the cheese slices in seasoned flour before frying them as this makes them a little crispier, giving you both crunch and squeak in each mouthful!
Brining the Cheese
If you want your cheese to last for longer, you will need to brine it. It will then keep for about a month in the fridge. Just add the 1/2L of the whey to 1/2 L of boiling water and 100g salt. Stir to make sure the salt has dissolved and then leave to cool. Pour the cooled brine over the cheese and keep it immersed in an airtight container in the fridge.
Best served with a large glass of chilled white wine!
Now you will need to poach the curds. Heat the whey to 85C in a large saucepan or deep frying pan. Add 1 tablespoon of salt.
Turn the curds out and cut them into slices about 2in thick (please don't measure them though - it isn't that critical).
Once the whey is at 85C, add the curd slices and watch and wait. When they rise to the top of the liquid, they are ready. Remove them with a slotted spoon and put them back into your draining container (sieve). At this stage, I use a plastic takeaway tray into which we have poked some drainage holes because it is rectangular and so it creates a block of halloumi that is easier to slice.
It will feel very wobbly at this stage but it will firm up as it cools down. Make sure you pack the soft cheese in and squash it down a bit.
Once cool and firm, it is ready to cook.
Put a little oil in to a hot pan and fry slices of the cheese for a couple of minutes on each side until it is brown. Alternatively, cook it over a hot griddle pan or a BBQ. Sometimes, if I can be bothered, I lightly coat the cheese slices in seasoned flour before frying them as this makes them a little crispier, giving you both crunch and squeak in each mouthful!
Brining the Cheese
If you want your cheese to last for longer, you will need to brine it. It will then keep for about a month in the fridge. Just add the 1/2L of the whey to 1/2 L of boiling water and 100g salt. Stir to make sure the salt has dissolved and then leave to cool. Pour the cooled brine over the cheese and keep it immersed in an airtight container in the fridge.
Best served with a large glass of chilled white wine!
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