As you probably already know, I’m a sucker for halloumi. Simply grilling it is enough but a few variations are irresistible. The following combination is taken from Nadia and Merijn’s lovely book Souq. Zaatar is mixture of oregano, sumac, sesame and salt. Nowadays it’s quite broadly available, although it might differ from one store to the other. In Lebanon we make pizza’s with halloumi and zaatar, usually for breakfast, but I have to admit that the addition of dates is not only new to me, it’s simply brilliant!
Ingredients
- 1 package of halloumi cheese
- 2 teaspoons zaatar
- 10 dates, deseeded (I prefer the Persian type)
- Olive oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven at 200ºC.
- Cut the the cheese in chunky cubes and place in an oven dish.
- Cut the dates in 2 or 3 pieces each. Sprinkle the zaatar over the cheese, top with the dates and drizzle ta bit of olive oil.
- Place the dish at the bottom of the oven and bake about 15 minutes.
- Switch the oven to the grill and place the dish right below it for another 5 minutes to get some extra colour.
- If you still have water in the dish, discard it and serve immediately.
