Watermelon & Halloumi Bites with Basil-Mint Oil
I have a delicious, easy appetizer you can make for Friday!
Have you ever had halloumi cheese? It’s pretty cool because unlike most cheese, it won’t melt into a gooey mess when it comes into contact with direct heat. Instead, the outside crisps up, and the inside gets warm and soft. It makes it perfect for grilling or pan-frying. You can literally make “grilled cheese,” heh. Oh it’s also squeaky. Like…it squeaks between your teeth. It’s weird, and also awesome!
Anyway, it’s salty flavor goes beautifully with the sweet, juicy watermelon. Speaking of…have you ever tried sprinkling salt on your watermelon? Try it, seriously. It’s fab.
Basically what we have going on here is watermelon topped with a pan-seared piece of halloumi, and a basil-mint oil (well a chiffonade of basil and mint in extra virgin olive oil). It’s so simple, but so good! It’s super fresh-tasting, vibrant, and absolutely perfect for Summer.
I bought some cute American flag toothpicks, along with some of those standard ones topped with red and blue plastic, to make things a little more festive. Because, you know, we got the red and white down with the watermelon and halloumi, but there’s a distinct lack of blue.
Actually, if you’re not making this for the Fourth of July, it would probably be great as a salad instead of little hors d’oeuvre bites. (Side note: no matter how many freakin’ times I’ve written that word, I can never seem to spell it, and have to Google it because autocorrect has no idea what I’m even trying to say.) Just combine all the watermelon and halloumi chunks in a bowl, and toss with the basil-mint oil! You could probably even throw in some arugula if you wanted it to be a bit leafier.
PrintWatermelon & Halloumi Bites with Basil-Mint Oil
Yield: 4ish appetizer servings
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp chiffonade fresh basil
- 1 tbsp chiffonade fresh mint
- 2 tbsp olive oil + more to grease your pan/grill
- salt and freshly-cracked pepper
- 8 oz. halloumi cheese, sliced into 1/2" steaks
- cubed watermelon, sprinkled with just a little salt (The amount will depend on how many cubes you get out of your cheese. I just sliced my watermelon to fit my halloumi cubes.)
- toothpicks
Directions:
- In a small bowl, combine the basil, mint, olive oil, and a pitch each of salt and pepper. Mash everything around a bit to get the flavor goings, then place in the fridge while you get everything else ready.
- Ad enough oil to a pan to lightly cover the bottom. Heat over medium-high heat. Sear the halloumi steaks on each side for about 2-3 minutes, until golden. (You can also grill your halloumi. Just rub the cheese itself with a little oil before placing on the grill.)
- Cut the halloumi into cubes (roughly the same size as your watermelon). Place a piece of halloumi on top of a watermelon cube and stab with a toothpick.
- Arrange on a platter and haphazardly drizzle with the herb oil. Serve!
Looking for more Fourth of July recipes?