Halloumi Cheese Fries are salty, crispy, and so delicious. They're also so simple to make. Make your next Mediterranean spread absolutely awesome.
Witchcraft today is a beautiful blend of ancient and modern. We learn from ancient civilizations, we incoporate their teachings and honor the ancestors, and we also combine that knowledge with our modern science and technology to give us the best of both worlds. I love how witchcraft has helped me learn about so many cultures and mythologies around the world.
Of course, food can help us do that, too. Our ancient ancestors wouldn't have been able to go to the international sections of their supermarkets to find new and delicious ingredients. They would have survived off of whatever they could grow and forage within a relatively small radius of where they lived. Unless they lived along a major trade route or had a ton of wealth, their flavor options were limited. I definitely don't take my access to Cypriot cheese for granted.
What makes Halloumi Cheese Fries so awesome?
What's not to love about fried cheese? Halloumi is a firm, salty cheese from Cyprus, traditionally made with a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. Because of its texture, it can be grilled, sauteed, or even, in this case, coated in some seasoned flour and deep fried, without going gooey and losing its shape. This make it the perfect cheesy "french fry" spin off.
The flour coating takes on a crispy texture, but the cheese stays firm and flavorful. I like to serve these as part of a knock off meze spread made up of other Mediterranean-inspired dishes like marinated olives, hummus, pita bread, and other dips and small bites. You can certainly make it your one homemade offering amongst a slew of store bought items. And while it's definitely not traditional, I prefer to dip my halloumi cheese fries in sweet chilli sauce. Do what makes you happy.
Make it magical
Sometimes we can use the energy of a food to honor a specific place and keep the mythology of that land alive. While halloumi is produced throughout the Mediterranean, including in Greece and Turkey, it is most closely associated with Cyprus. So even if you don't have direct ancestors from this island, you can still honor their land and culture. In one telling, Cyprus is said to be the birthplace of Aphrodite as well as the home of Pygmalion. Many Greek myths have ties to this island, so take some time to learn about its history as you honor the food of this land.
For details on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, be sure to check the Kitchen Magick page.
Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this dish. The full details are in the recipe card below.
- Flour - all-purpose or plain
- Paprika - preferably smoked
- Black pepper - freshly ground is awesome
- Halloumi
- Oil - a neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying
- Your favorite dipping sauce - I like sweet chilli sauce
Tips for making Halloumi Cheese Fries
These are super simple. Start by preheating your oil in a pot. Clip on a thermometer to make sure you keep the oil at the right temperature. It will take longer to heat the oil than to prep the halloumi.
Cut your block of halloumi into sticks, then dredge those sticks in a mixture of flour, paprika, and black pepper. Get each piece well coated before dropping them, a few at a time, into your hot oil. Fry each piece for a couple of minutes until browned. Remove each piece to a wire rack to cool and crisp up. Don't overfill your pot, or your temperature will drop too quickly. Keep an eye on the oil temperature as you move pieces of cheese in and out.
That's it. The only thing left to do is eat way too much cheese.
These Halloumi Cheese Fries are so easy, it's almost embarrassing, especially when you consider how delicious they are. I hope you give them a try. It's gonna be awesome.
Looking for more awesome cheesy recipes? Try some Blue Cheese Fondue or this Goat Cheese Crostini with Macadamia Nuts & Honey.
PrintHalloumi Cheese Fries
Halloumi Cheese Fries are salty, crispy, and so delicious. They're also so simple to make. Make your next Mediterranean spread absolutely awesome.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Fried
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain flour
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 225 gram block of halloumi
- Oil for frying
- Sweet chilli sauce, for dipping, optional
Instructions
- Add your oil to whatever vessel you'll be frying in, giving yourself about two inches in depth. Clip on your thermometer and heat your oil to between 350 and 375. Keep an eye on the temperature throughout the cooking process and adjust the heat to stay within this range.
- On a plate or another flat container, mix together the flour, paprika and pepper. You don't need salt as the cheese is plenty salty on its own.
- Cut your block of halloumi into sticks.
- Dredge each stick of cheese in the seasoned flour and carefully lower it into your pot of hot oil. I can usually add about four sticks of cheese before the first one needs to come out. They brown fairly quickly, so just keep an eye on the pot as your dredging and dropping, and use your tongs to remove the cheese sticks that have browned as much as you like.
- As you remove the cheese sticks, allow them to cool on a wire rack over a baking sheet. They'll crisp up as they cool.
- Serve warm with sweet chilli sauce for dipping.
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