Fried Herbed Cheese
- 8 oz. Hellim (or Halloumi) Cheese
- Olive Oil
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Cumin
- Dried Thyme
- Place the block of Hellim Cheese in a bowl of cool water. Allow to soak for 10-15 minutes. (This will ensure that the cheese isn’t too salty when you are ready to eat it.)
- Remove the block of Cheese from water and allow excess water to drip off. Use a sharp knife to slice Cheese (about ½ – ¾ inch thickness).
- Pour some Olive Oil into a small bowl. Dip a pastry brush into the Oil and brush both sides of the Cheese until well coated.
- Sprinkle a small amount of the 3 Seasonings onto each side of the oiled Cheese slices.
- Pour a small amount of Olive Oil into a frying pan (enough to coat the bottom) and heat on medium.
- Carefully place seasoned Cheese slices into a hot frying pan. (Be careful not to get splattered by any hot oil.)
- Fry Cheese slices until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip and fry the second side as well. Adjust the heat as needed so the slices don’t burn.
- When both sides are fried to a nice golden brown, remove from pan and serve immediately.
Soaking the cheese in water. Spices ready and waiting
Brushing the cheese with Olive Oil
Sprinkling spices on the cheese
Frying the cheese
Hot and ready to enjoy
lori
This is a really timely recipe for us, as we are headed back to hellim country! I’ve never really cared for hellim, but am eager to give this recipe a try. One question, when or with what do you eat hellim? Maybe eating it in the right combination will improve my fondness for it! Blessings, Jale!
Jale
Hope you learn to enjoy Hellim, Lori. My family all enjoyed this fried cheese so much that we at it hot and by itself. You could eat it as part of a meal, but I think fresh and hot tastes best. Maybe trying the Kabak Çiçeği Dolması would be a good way to start learning to like Hellim. It has a mixture of cheeses and only a bit of Hellim.
Deb
Love this recipe.😀 It is delicious as a hot appetizer as soon as it is made!