Homemade Halloumi

Ingredients

• 2 gallon Whole milk (Raw milk was used in the video; follow the author's adaptations for pasteurized milk.)
• 0.25 tsp Rennet (Dilute with a little cool water before adding; no culture is used.)
• Cool water (A little, to dilute the rennet.)
• Salt (A good amount, sprinkled on a plate; exact proportion not specified.)
• Dried mint (A good amount, mixed with the salt; exact proportion not specified. Other herbs or spices, or plain salt, may be used instead.)
• Halloumi (Slices, for frying and serving; amount not specified.)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the milk to 95°F (35°C). If using pasteurized milk, follow the author's separate adaptations; they are not provided in this source.

2. 2

   Dilute the rennet in a little cool water, then stir it into the warm milk. The cheese does not use a culture.

3. 3

   Let the milk rest for 45–60 minutes, until the curd has a clean break.

4. 4

   Cut the curds into approximately ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces. They may be cut by hand or whisked, as preferred.

5. 5

   Let the curds rest for 5 minutes so they firm up.

6. 6

   Stir the curds for about 5 minutes to get them moving in the pot, breaking apart any large clumps.

7. 7

   Over the next 20 minutes, raise the temperature gradually to 104°F (40°C), stirring steadily. Use low heat as needed so the temperature rises slowly rather than heating too quickly.

8. 8

   Let the curds rest for 5 minutes so they sink to the bottom.

9. 9

   Transfer the curds and whey into a cheesecloth-lined colander, catching all the whey. Return the whey to the cooking pot and set it aside; do not discard it.

10. 10

    Gather the cheesecloth around the curds into a rectangular bundle. Tie or secure both sides so the curds do not escape during pressing.

11. 11

    Place the bundle seam-side down in a clean, sided pan. Set a cutting board on top, then add a balanced, modest weight, such as a cast-iron skillet or jug of water.

12. 12

    Press for 10 minutes to begin drawing out the whey.

13. 13

    Unwrap the cheese, flip it over, smooth out the cloth, and wrap it again.

14. 14

    Press the rewrapped cheese for another 20 minutes.

15. 15

    While the cheese presses, heat the reserved whey to 180°F (82°C).

16. 16

    Cut the pressed slab into about six pieces, or into pieces of your preferred size.

17. 17

    Place the pieces in the 180°F (82°C) whey to scald. Let them steep for 45 minutes; they should sink at first and float when ready. If they remain at the bottom, leave them longer or reheat the whey.

18. 18

    While the cheese scalds, sprinkle salt and dried mint onto a plate and mix them together. The author gives no exact proportions; plain salt or other herbs and spices are alternatives.

19. 19

    Carefully lift a piece of hot cheese from the whey. Turn it over so each side contacts the salt-and-mint mixture, then fold it over on itself. Set it aside to cool and repeat with the remaining pieces.

20. 20

    Once cool, wrap the halloumi for storage, or slice it for frying.

21. 21

    Heat a pan well, add halloumi slices, and leave them undisturbed until the first side is deeply browned. Turn the heat down if needed to cook more slowly, then turn the slices and brown the other side.

22. 22

    Serve the fried halloumi on its own or as desired, such as in a sandwich or wrap, on salad, with vegetables, in pasta or soup, as an appetizer, or drizzled with honey and black pepper.

Notes

The transcript mentions keeping cooled halloumi refrigerated for several weeks when wrapped, or vacuum-sealed and refrigerated for up to six months; freezing is also suggested. The sampled on-screen text instead says to vacuum-pack and refrigerate for later, or vacuum-pack and freeze for long-term storage. Pasteurized-milk adaptations and exact salt/mint amounts are not supplied. The transcript describes folding each cheese piece over itself after coating it in the salt-and-mint mixture; the sampled on-screen text only states to cover a plate with salt and dried mint.

Nutrition per serving

• cheese
• homemade
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• dairy
• stovetop
• make-ahead
• Mediterranean