Polenta is a humble, yet oh-so-versatile cornmeal dish that can take on many forms – cream it, set it, deep-fry it or bake with it. Here, we used it to create a delicious crunchy crust for haloumi cheese.
Ingredients
- CHILLI-TOMATO SAUCE
- 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 5ml (1 tsp) harissa paste
- 5ml (1 tsp) sugar
- 1,25ml (. tsp) ground cumin
- 0,625ml (⅛ tsp) caraway seeds
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 chilli, finely chopped
- 30ml (2 tbsp) Mrs H.S. Ball’s Original Chutney
- HALOUMI CHEESE
- 2 extra-large eggs, whisked
- 100g instant polenta
- 30ml (2 tbsp) sesame seeds
- 10ml (2 tsp) dried oregano
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 x 220g packets haloumi
- 100g cake flour
- canola oil, to deep-fry
- 1 red chilli sliced in rounds, to garnish
- handful coriander leaves, to garnish
Instructions
1 For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden, about 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, harissa paste, sugar, spices, seasoning and chopped chilli. Stir until combined and simmer, covered, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the chutney, stirring continuously until combined.
2 For the haloumi, whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Combine the polenta, sesame seeds, oregano, and salt and pepper in a separate medium bowl. Set aside until needed.
3 Cut the haloumi into slices, about 1cm in thickness, to get 10 strips in total. Place the flour in a shallow dish, add the haloumi and toss the haloumi in the flour until well coated.
4 Dip a floured haloumi slice into the whisked egg, then into the polenta mixture. Transfer the crumbed slice to a plate. Repeat these steps with the remaining slices, then cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5 In a deep fat fryer or large, deep pot, heat the oil to 180˚C. Use a sugar thermometer to check the temperature of the oil if using a pot.
6 Deep-fry the haloumi in small batches of two at a time, until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the deep fryer or pot and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
7 Garnish the haloumi slices with chilli rounds and coriander, and serve with the dipping sauce.
Shared by Food&Home.
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Feature Image: F&H
