A dish of Cypriot, Greek and Turkish resonance, with dazzling colours and mouth-watering flavours. This is a delicious way of cooking halloumi, providing the bonbons are served good and hot. I have a slight preference for the cayenne breadcrumbs over smoked paprika, but the choice is yours.
SERVES 4
2 yellow peppers
2 red peppers
80ml light olive oil
A generous pinch of soft brown sugar
200g tomatoes, peeled, cut in half horizontally and deseeded
3 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
Grapeseed oil, for deep-frying
120g fine breadcrumbs
3 tsp cayenne pepper or 5 tsp smoked paprika
250g halloumi, cut into about 1.5cm cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
A small handful of coriander sprigs, to finish
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
Using a small knife, cut out the stalk ends off the 4 peppers, to create an opening, then use a knife to remove the core and seeds from inside, without opening up the peppers.
Heat up a ridged griddle pan over a high heat. Brush the outsides of each pepper with a little of the olive oil and season the insides lightly with salt. Cook on the griddle pan, turning as necessary, until lightly marked all the way around. Transfer to a roasting dish and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until cooked but still just retaining their shape.
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan or sauté pan over a high heat and add 50ml of the olive oil. When it is hot, add the sugar then immediately place the halved tomatoes in the pan, cut side down, and add the thyme, bay leaves and garlic. Season with a little salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Cook, without moving the tomatoes too much, for 5 minutes. Spoon the contents of the pan over the base of a wide serving dish; keep warm.
Heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep-fryer or other deep, heavy pan to 180°C. Mix the breadcrumbs with the cayenne or paprika. Roll the cubes of halloumi, 6 or 8 at a time, in the crumb mixture to coat all over, and pat with your hands to make sure it adheres well. Drop into the hot oil and cook for about 1 minute until they turn golden brown. Remove with a skimmer and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat to coat and fry the remaining halloumi cubes.
To serve, arrange the roasted peppers, open side up, on top of the tomato base and fill the cavity of each with the halloumi bonbons, keeping some back to scatter here and there on top of the tomato base. Garnish with the coriander and serve at once.