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Fried haloumi with tomatoes, lentils and almonds
( SERVES 4 )

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Listener 8/1/2011

I am a recent convert to haloumi - previously I found the rubbery, squeaky texture of this cheese offputting. But watching somebody scoop thick slabs of fried golden-brown cheese onto warm bread convinced me I should at least try it. A mixture of goats' and sheeps' milk, haloumi has a layered texture that is perfect for grilling and frying, and its high melting point means it retains its shape and loses none of its salty flavour.

Ingredients

120 ml	Olive oil
300 g	Cherry tomatoes
1 to taste	Salt and freshly ground black pepper
200 g	Haloumi cheese
2 Tbsp	Almonds, sliced
2 Tbsp	Flour

Salad

200 g	Green lentils, French
3 Tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil
1 handful	Flat leaf (Italian) parsley
1 to taste	Salt
1 Tbsp	Aged balsamic vinegar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 160C. Toss the tomatoes in a bowl with some of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place in a shallow roasting dish and roast for 30 minutes until the tomatoes begin to burst.
Remove from the oven and set aside. Slice the haloumi thickly and dust each piece in flour.
Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan and cook the haloumi for 2-3 minutes each side, until golden brown.
Drain on absorbent kitchen paper. Return the pan to the heat and quickly brown the almonds.
To make the salad, rinse the lentils under cold running water, then place in a saucepan of water. Boil for about 15 minutes - until just tender.
Drain and place in a bowl. Coarsely chop the parsley leaves and stir into the lentils. Add the oil and vinegar, toss together and season with salt. Set aside.
Spoon the lentil salad onto serving plates with the tomatoes.
Top with the haloumi, scatter the almonds over the top and spoon any remaining dressing around the plate.