Halloumi Saganaki

Halloumi saganaki is a traditional Greek dish made with semolina-crusted fried halloumi cheese that is served with fresh figs, pomegranate seeds, bitter greens, and a drizzle of honey for sweetness.

Born and bred on a diet of fried chicken cutlets, pasta with “gravy” (aka marinara sauce, for those of you not fluent in Sicilian-English-New York slang), and Eggo waffles there is very little that comes out of my kitchen now that even vaguely resembles the food of my youth. 

Halloumi cheese is a prime example. We eat it SO often. Disturbingly often. (Gloriously often.) It is one of my favorite meat substitutes and even Remy loves it, which is a huge win in my life since she basically subsists on air and Annie’s fruit snacks.

Yet my husband, despite being Greek through and through (and through) doesn’t remember his mother ever making it when he was a kid. Mayybbeee his grandmother made it on special occasions, but that was about it. Crazy!

To say that it gives me great pleasure to introduce my husband to Greek food he never knew existed is an understatement, so I jumped on the chance to try halloumi saganaki when I stumbled upon it in one of my cookbooks.

Coming from the Greek word “sagani” meaning “frying pan”, halloumi saganaki is essentially just halloumi cheese that has been fried. Here we’re dressing it up a bit by breading it in egg and semolina for a bit more texture and crunch, and then pairing it with fresh figs, pomegranate seeds, arugula, and a honey drizzle.

The salty, squeaky cheese against the sweet fruits and bitter greens is a pretty perfect bite and I actually am hard-pressed to imagine something I would like to eat more than this.

This recipe is from the Ripe Figs cookbook by Yasmin Khan, which focuses on foods from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. It’s one of a few recipes I’ve made from the book, all of which we’ve loved.

Highly recommend if you’re looking to delve a bit more into authentic Mediterranean flavors but don’t know where to start!

Halloumi Saganaki

 

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Halloumi saganaki is a traditional Greek dish made with semolina-crusted fried halloumi cheese that is served with fresh figs, pomegranate seeds, bitter greens, and a drizzle of honey for sweetness.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 16 oz halloumi cheese
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup (40 g) fine semolina
• ¼ cup sunflower oil
• 4 oz arugula
• 12 fresh figs, halved
• ½ cup pomegranate arils
• 2 tbsp honey

Instructions

1. Cut the halloumi into 12 slices.
2. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Pour the semolina into a wide, shallow bowl and set aside. Dip the halloumi slices in the egg, letting any excess drip off, then roll in the semolina until completely covered. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the halloumi to the skillet. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden. Place on a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Divide the arugula among serving bowls. Top each with 3 slices of halloumi, 6 fig halves, the pomegranate arils, and a drizzle of honey. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe from Ripe Figs

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