Haloumi, Chilli and Basil Bruschetta. Amazing.

The hubbie loves haloumi, something I’ve never really got to grips with before.  The rumours of it turning to rubber if you overcook it and it being inedible if you undercook it has always put me off the stuff.  Nonetheless as a treat and also in light of the fact that it is miles cheaper than any other cheese out here, I bought a packet and the rest is history.

This is a delicious bruschetta dish that needs to be served in double quick time so the cheese is still hot when you hand it around.  But it takes seconds to make, needs minimal preparation and is a great standby starter, brunch, lunch or canapé.  Again, use a small circumference baguette for canapés and move up in size to ciabatta if you’re serving it as a starter or lunch.  The combination of basil, a hint of chilli, garlic and crisp mild cheese is completely superb.

Ingredients (per starter bruschetta)

2-3 slices of haloumi (cut to 0.5 cm thick)

1 tbsp olive oil

half a clove of garlic, sliced lengthways

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

3 fresh basil leaves

1 slice of ciabatta

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and pop the bread in the toaster.

2. Add the haloumi and chilli flakes to the pan and cook over a high-ish heat . Turning the haloumi once it is crisp.

3. Remove the bread from the toaster when golden and run the cut side of the garlic clove all over one side.  Top the garlic side with 3 basil leaves and then the chilli haloumi.  Drizzle any left over oil from the pan over the top.

Eat immediately.