Why Beetroot with Haloumi?
Flavours that balance, contrast and emphasize each other is what cooking is all about. This dish does all of the above. To me, simple ingredients matched correctly give food ‘emotion’.
Roasted beetroots have a superb earthiness while sustaining a beautiful subtle sweetness.
Fresh mint is sweet and bright and helps bring this out in the beetroots.
Dried mint has an earthy yet fresh depth that in this dish matches the earthiness of extra virgin olive oil and the beetroots.
The unique squeaky texture of haloumi contrasts with the silkiness of the beetroots, while the salty sharpness contrasts in flavour, with the sweet aromatics of the mint.
Lemon adds fragrance and acidity that brings the sweetness and saltiness all into harmony.
Ingredients
1 bunch medium sized beetroot
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
250g haloumi, sliced into 1 cm pieces
Salt
Pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 180° Celsius (fan forced). Quarter the beetroot, and lay on 2-3 large pieces of aluminium foil. Season with salt and pepper and wrap up secularly. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender.
Allow the beetroot to cool for 1-2 minutes before peeling and cutting into 1.5cm cubes. While the beetroot is still warm mix it with fresh and dried mint, lemon juice and zest, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
In the meantime pan fry the sliced haloumi for 2 minutes each side over a medium heat.
Serve immediately with the minted beetroot and a few slices of haloumi.
Serves 2
*Note: For extra flavour add 1 teaspoon of mint vinegar. This will lighten the saltiness of the haloumi while bringing out further sweetness in the beetroots.
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2 comments:
This sounds really good! I love haloumi and I love mint.
Haloumi is a fantastic ingredient. It tastes great with mint (the curds of most haloumi are pressed with mint), and the beetroot is fantastic too.
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