The making process of Lysiotiko Halloumi: a video

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Some time ago I promised that I would try and get a hold of a video showing the making process of Lysiotiko Halloumi. Well this time is here… On my last trip to Cyprus this summer I made the video. And here it is… the making of Lysiotiko Halloumi…

The video gives an overview of the traditional process of making Halloumi, as it has been passed through generations to the descendants of Lysi. The process varies from region to region, hence, the different tastes of traditional  Halloumi across Cyprus. Lysiotiko Halloumi separates from the others in terms of its color (it is more reddish), and for me personally, superiority in taste, either fresh or aged.

It should be recalled here that the traditional halloumi, is made only from sheep milk with the addition of some goat milk. The process shown in the video is not to be associated with commercially produced halloumi, where the process is optimized for efficiency, and cow milk is used.

The halloumi making process can be divided in9 steps:

  1. Milk collection (milking the sheep and goats)
  2. Addition of enzymes to form the curd
  3. Collection of the curd
  4. Forming and straining the curd
  5. Cooling of formed curd and simultaneously collecting Anari from boiling whey
  6. “Cooking” of curd to yield halloumi
  7. Cooling  of halloumi
  8. Salting
  9. Consumption or aging of halloumi

The video begins at the collection of the curd and ends when the “cooked” curd (now halloumi) is laid to cool before it is salted. (On my next trip I will try and make a video of all 9 steps).

I hope this video is informative enough. It will not assist you in making Lysiotiko Halloumi, as the “secret of the trade” lies in the timing and temperatures, the experts say. But it is a start…

The perfect breakfast with halloumi

In a Winter rainy day, you have plenty of time in order to prepare breakfast. With the major inredient, Halloumi, I always try to make a combination. Today I took the following Ingredients:

  • Halloumi
  • 1 Egg
  • bacon
  • 4 slices of bread
  • Any fresh vegetables you like

Preparation:
Boil the egg (I usually boil it for 7-8 minutes). Prepare your coffee if you like – I prefer filter coffee, because it’s healthier than instant coffee and I drink a lot. Slice the halloumi and then your vegetables. Prepare your bacon, you can fry it or prepare it on a grill like me and then put the hallumi on top of it to soften it a little bit. Put it all together with the bread and you will have a perfect breakfast!

Halloumi, Eggs and Cauliflower: A Breakfast Approach

Halloumi, Eggs and Cauliflower: A Breakfast Approach

Today we will be exploring Halloumi as a breakfast, combined with eggs and cauliflower. Especially now that the summer is here, one can deviate from the hot breakfasts. Hence pulling the crunchy cauliflower out of the fridge right in the morning, combining it with saltiness and aroma of halloumi and blending it with the semi-soft boiled eggs is just sensational, a rocking combination! Of course you need to top it off with with frape to have the complete package.

Ingredients:

  • Aged Halloumi
  • Eggs
  • Cauliflower

Preparation:

Boil the eggs to your liking, I would recommend semi-soft boiled. Slice the halloumi. Wash the cauliflower. Make a frape (I will soon be posting the process and right ingredients of making the frape) and spoil yourself with a Mediterranean breakfast sensation.

What do you think?

Halloutini: a Dirty Martini that is kind of cheesy

Halloutini: a Dirty Martini that is kind of cheesy

If you continue reading this article you certify that you are of legal drinking age in the country you are situated at this very point in time. If you fail to satisfy the age criterion, please try reading something else about halloumi. For example about the Hallouburger or the Hallouschetta. If you pass the age criterion, just continue reading and engage yourself in the creation and exploration of the Halloutini, the Dirty Martini that is kind of cheesy!

The Halloutini story:

I conceived the Halloutini a few years back. I have always been a big fun of the Dirty Martini and that is the only one I would ever have. One day I decided to go off the pattern and try something different. Going through the martini menu I realized that bar tenders where mixing almost everything. And there it was the Appletini. And that it was where it hit me! Why not to combine my favorite martini with my favorite cheese. Thus the birth of Halloutini. And today I decided to share it with everybody. Great things might be coming in small quantities but it doesn’t mean that they cannot be enjoyed by everybody.

The Halloutini is a Vodka Dirty Martini garnished with fresh Halloumi rather than just the traditional green olives.

Ingredients:

  • Vodka (preferably some nice Russian vodka)
  • Fresh Halloumi
  • Green olives (here almond stuffed)
  • Couple of ice cubes

Preparation:

Anticipate and have your martini glasses chilled. Usually I keep a couple together with beer mugs in the freezer. Cut the halloumi in cuboids of approximately the same size as the olives. Arrange the olives and halloumi on a small skewer. Add two ice cubes, the vodka, and about two table spoons of olive brine in the shaker. As James Bond said, “shaken, not stirred“. Shake them to chill them. Then strain in the martini glass, garnish with the halloumi and olives and enjoy the Halloutini: the Dirty Martini that is kind of cheesy!

What do you think?

Hallouschetta: a hybrid Bruschetta

Hallouschetta: a hybrid Bruschetta

As I mentioned last week, this time we will be using fresh (soft) halloumi. And since this weekend marks the beginning of the 2009 Formula 1 season I thought to travel a bit north-west in the Mediterranean to the motherland of the Cavallino Rampante. Of course after their performance in today’s race I do not know how Rampante they are, but definitely they are Italian.

So let us now watch Giulio explaining us how to prepare the traditional Italian Bruschetta…

Now that we have seen Giulio’s Bruschetta, I tell you…

Drop the Bruschetta and get with the Hallouschetta!

The Hallouschetta is based on the Bruschetta recipe, with the addition of Halloumi and some deviations in the preparation that fit my likings… I tried Giulio’s way as well, that is not baking the tomato, just putting it on top at the end, but I have to say, that the baked one is the one that suits my taste buds. There is thermal harmony…

Ingredients:

  • Fresh Halloumi
  • Bread
  • Tomato
  • Basil
  • Garlic
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt

Preparation:

Slice the bread. Dice the halloumi and tomato. Chop the garlic and basil. Place the bread slices in a baking pan. Sprinkle them with olive oil. Spread some garlic. Put a layer of Halloumi. Then top with a layer of tomato (if you want to bake the tomato). Add the basil. Sprinkle with some more olive oil. Bake for about 10 minutes at around 350 deg. F or until the halloumi gets really soft. Pull it out from the oven. If you cose not to bake the tomato go ahead and add it with the basil… and then just enjoy it! Maybe with a frape alongside.

And this is the Hallouschetta, the hybrid bruschetta…

What do you think?

Halloumi, Tuna and Broccoli

Halloumi, Tuna and Broccoli

This recipe is also an easy one and quick. Perfect for a light but still fulfilling lunch. I am using aged Halloumi again as it is my personal favorite. And despite other people’s preferences I strongly believe that aged halloumi goes with everything, whereas fresh halloumi, at least in my plate, does not get along with tuna.

Ingredients:

  • Aged Lysiotiko Halloumi
  • Chunk Tuna
  • Broccoli
  • Tomato
  • Lemon

Preparation:

Steam the broccoli. Drain your chunk tuna. Slice the halloumi. Slice the tomato. Lay them on the plate. Sprinkle the tuna with some lemon. Sprinkle the tomato and broccoli with salt. And then just get fulfilled but still feel light.

What do you think?

Halloumi, Chickpeas and Asparagus Salad

Halloumi, Chickpeas and Asparagus Salad

This week we will be enjoying another refreshing salad. We will be using fresh halloumi this time.

  • Fresh Lysiotiko Halloumi
  • Chickpeas
  • Asparaggus
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Parsley
  • Lemon
  • Salt
  • Pepper as desired

Preparation:

Chop the halloumi and vegetables. Lightly fry the asparagus with half the tomatoes and half the onions. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Add lemon, salt and pepper as desired. Serve with a side of marinated artichoke hearts.

Halloumi-Rolo Dish

Here are some pictures from the restaurant at the University of Nicosia where they frequently incorporate halloumi in their dishes. This dish, halloumi-rolo, really caught me out of surprise. The traditional rolo is made with minced pork meat and spices and it is stuffed with hard boiled eggs. In this case the stuffing ended up being Halloumi! I hope this will unveil new pathways for experiments in the kitchen. Enjoy…

Halloumi-rolo dish with salad and potatoes

Halloumi-rolo dish with salad and potatoes

Halloumi-rolo dish with salad and potato

Halloumi-rolo dish with salad and potato

Halloumi-Trahana Soup

The Halloumi-Trahana Soup…

This time we will try a fully traditional Cypriot dish, trahana soup. Trahana is another traditional dairy product of Cyprus. We will put a page at a later stage describing trahana in detail.

For now, briefly, trahana is made from fermented goat milk and crashed wheat. The milk is fermented for 4-6 days, until the sourness reaches a desirable level, and then it is cooked with crashed wheat. Then it is rolled (as shown below in the pictures) and left to dry under the summer Mediterranean sun. It can be consumed just like that, or to make the trahana soup. Also the fermented milk can be consumed just like that, chilled though, with some mint. It is very refreshing in the hot summer days.

Now back to the main topic, the trahana-halloumi soup, and the most important of all, the ingredients. We will need…

  • One aged Lysiotiko Halloumi
  • Trahana, the amount depends on how many servings you want to do and how dense you want your soup. Experiment on the quantity.
  • Chicken, preferably legs or thighs, here we will be using breast though. Legs or thighs have more fat and will release more juices when you boil them.
  • One cube of chicken bouillon
  • Lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Preparation:

The first thing that you have to do when doing a Halloumi-Trahana soup is to plan in advance. The soup itself is not time consuming but the trahana needs to be soaked in water to soften, and this requires time, 4-5 hours. Once you have soaked the trahana then the whole process is relative quick. So to prepare the soup soak the trahana, put it in a bowl and cover it with water and let it soak. The trahana will absorb the water, get swollen and turn into a pale white-beige color, and become very soft. In the meantime boil the chicken. Once it is done pull it out from the pot, and let it cool down. Add the trahana and the chicken bouillon cube in the pot where the chicken was cooking. Cook it on medium heat for about half an hour. Once it is cooked, the trahana and water will have meshed into one mixture. Cut the chicken and the aged Halloumi in small cubes and add them to the pot. Add some more water to dilute the mixture and let it boil for another 5 minutes. Take it off the stove let it cool down a bit. Add lemon and pepper to taste and serve warm to hot… And it will definitely warm you up on a cold winter night. And with this dish you will have experienced an authentic dish from the traditional table of Cyprus/

Here are a few pictures of the Halloumi-Trahana… so warm…

Finally the poll…

Poll: What do you think?

I've tried the Halloumi-Trahana Soup, and...

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Halloumi-Tuna Salad

The Halloumi-Tuna Salad…

Today’s recipe is a very quick and easy one, but still very delightful. It can be used for a snack, to replace a meal or as an appetizer.

We will be taking the well known tuna salad and infusing with halloumi and even more.

So the ingredients:

    • One aged halloumi
    • One can of chunk tuna
    • Two eggs
    • One tomato
    • Two celery ribs
    • Three table spoons of capers
    • Two table spoons of mustard poppies

      Preparation:

      Hard-boil the eggs. Drain the tuna. Chop all the ingredients in small cubes. Then just place them in a bowl and mix them. Add lemon, salt and pepper to your preference… and enjoy. Your hunger will disappear but still feel light. And you have indulged your taste senses with another dish infused with Halloumi.

      Here are a few pictures of the Halloumi-Tuna Salad… so indulging…

      Finally the poll…

      Poll: What do you think?

      I've tried the Halloumi-Tuna Salad and...

      View Results

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