Pan-Fried Halloumi Cheese with Olives & Hazelnuts
pan-fried halloumi cheese with a sweet & tangy mixture of olives, hazelnuts, shallots, and dried apricots
serves: 8-10 (appetizer portions)
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup hazelnuts
- olive oil
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- kosher salt
- ½ cup dried apricots, chopped
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 lb halloumi cheese
- flour, as needed
- ½ cup olives, halved (kalamata, castelvetrano, etc.)
- crackers or toasted bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spread the hazelnuts onto a baking sheet. Roast for about 8-10 minutes until golden. Let cool slightly. Use a kitchen towel to rub the skins off (it’s okay if some stay on). Roughly chop the hazelnuts and set aside. Lower the oven to 300°F.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Let sauté until softened, caramelized, and somewhat crispy, stirring often. Stir in the apricots, honey, and red wine vinegar. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Cook for a minute or so until slightly reduced. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Slice the halloumi cheese into ½” rounds. Toss with enough flour just to coat the slices on all sides.
- Heat another skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to come up the sides about a ¼ of an inch. Once the oil is hot, work in batches to fry the halloumi cheese until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side (shake off any excess flour as you add the cheese to the pan).
- Remove the halloumi cheese and season with a pinch of salt. Keep warm in the oven until the rest of the cheese is fried.
- Meanwhile, heat the shallot mixture back over medium heat. Stir in the hazelnuts and olives. Cook another minute or so.
- Serve the halloumi with the shallot mixture spooned over top. Add a drizzle of olive oil to finish. Serve with crackers or toasted bread.