Battered halloumi and mushy peas recipe

Battered Halloumi with Minty Mushy Peas, Tartare Sauce & Yemeni Lemony Pickle Recipe

Serves 2 -3, vegetarian.  Adapted from Terre A Terre by Amanda Powley & Phillip Naylor

For the halloumi

• 1 pack 250 gr halloumi cheese
• 250 ml buttermilk or 125 ml yoghurt mixed with 125 ml milk
• plain flour for coating
• sunflower oil to deep fry

For the batter

• 75 gr plain flour
• 35 gr self-raising flour
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 120 ml cold water
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• salt & black pepper

Cut the halloumi in to thin slices (less than 1/2 cm) then cut them into triangles. Cut the triangles with the natural break of the halloumi. Put the buttermilk or yoghurt/milk mixture into a dish (I used an empty one-litre ice cream tub) and submerge the halloumi in the liquid to soak overnight, or for several hours in the fridge.

To make the batter, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl to the consistency of double cream. Adjust the water/flour if necessary. Cover with cling film and keep in the fridge until you are ready to cook the halloumi.

Just before serving, heat the oil in a wok or deep fryer to 180°C.  Put some plain flour in a shallow dish and remove the halloumi & batter from the fridge. Lift the halloumi pieces, one at a time, out of the buttermilk and let it drip off slightly. Put it in the flour and flip it to coat, then put it in the batter. Open a window unless you want your whole house to smell like deep frying. When the oil has reached temperature, lift the halloumi out of the batter and carefully drop it into the hot oil. Fry two triangles at a time. It should puff up and start to turn golden straight away. If not, it means your oil is not hot enough. Turn the halloumi with a slotted spoon to cook on both sides. This should only take a minute or two to be crisp & golden on both sides. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.