How to make Noor Murad’s ‘Cheese and Olives’ – halloumi with spicy olives and walnuts

“This works really well for brunch, alongside soft-boiled eggs, but can just as easily be eaten as a light lunch or dinner,” explains Noor Murad, author of new cookbook Lugma. “Feel free to make this vegan, by swapping out the halloumi for fried and salted tofu.”

Noor Murad’s ‘Cheese and Olives’ – halloumi with spicy olives and walnuts

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

For the salsa:

4tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed using a pestle and mortar
1tsp Aleppo chilli flakes
70g jarred red (bell) peppers, very finely chopped
1tbsp rose harissa
2tbsp apple cider vinegar
2tsp maple syrup
50g walnuts, well toasted and roughly chopped into 1cm pieces
70g pitted Nocellara olives, roughly chopped
5g mint leaves, roughly chopped
10g parsley leaves, roughly chopped
2tsp pomegranate molasses

For the halloumi:

2 x 225g blocks of halloumi, drained
2tbsp olive oil
2tsp maple syrup

Method:

1. Make the salsa by adding the oil and garlic to a small frying pan (skillet) and placing it over a medium heat. Cook until beginning to bubble and smell fragrant, about one and a half minutes, then add the coriander seeds and chilli and cook for about 30 seconds more. Stir in the peppers, harissa, vinegar and maple syrup and cook for five minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

3. Halve each of the halloumi blocks lengthways (so they are the same shape, but thinner now) to give you four rectangular pieces. Pat them well dry. Use a small sharp knife to make a criss-cross pattern across one side of each piece, with incisions about 1.5cm deep.

4. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the halloumi pieces and fry until nicely golden on both sides, about four to five minutes in total. Transfer to a small tray, criss-cross side up, and pour over the excess oil left in the pan, followed by the maple syrup.

5. Bake for seven minutes, or until really nicely softened through the centre.

6. Transfer to a plate, pouring over any juices left in the tray, then spoon over the salsa. Serve right away, while the halloumi is still warm.

Lugma by Noor Murad is published by Quadrille, priced £28. Photography by Matt Russell. Available now.