Crunchy Haloumi Fingers
What tastes like home to you? If you were to ask me, my answer is unwavering, thick white hand cut toast, with lashings of butter and vegemite. Not spread thickly of course but almost marbled over the crispy toast’s surface with little eruptions of butter ozzing up through the threads of salty vegemite. Simple but meaningful, the way my Nana always made it for me and the one I always lean on when away from home. For others it might be their favourite dish their Mum made or one culturally meaningful to them if they live in a country other than the one of their birth.
Late last year we enjoyed a visit from one of our dearest friends, who’s made a life for himself in the US with his beautiful wife and kids. He lives in the north east where snow falls on their garden in winter and summer days are spent on sunshiny lakeside hikes. Different from his youth under gum trees in country Victoria but where in both worlds we speak the same language. Seemingly similar yet worlds apart. Without fail when he and his family visit I love to cook for them. Food is my love language and being able to do that for them is both a welcome and ‘hug.’ Over the nearly 25 years of his northern hemisphere life, with every visit, he’s travelled home with a list of food and meals he’s wanted to enjoy during his visits and in turn introduce his family to. So invariably with each meal we share with them I’ve always asked what he’d like to eat or what’s still on the list. One thing I’ve learnt from these visits and his absence is how very much we all have a ‘taste of home.’ Things you wouldn’t expect but that bring back that innate sense of being and comfort.
Without fail C will always seek out a meat pie, multiple times, along with dim sims which are actually a very Melbourne delicacy. He also loves Australian bacon (who knew it would be so different) and beef. We’re a very social lot we Aussies and we love our food. We’re a country of multiple cultures built on a mosaic of migration and all the wonderful foods and cultures that has gifted us. As such our cuisine, if we even have a definable one, is a patchwork of all these wonderful influences. Living, eating, breathing and indeed cooking that life means we can take that for granted and perhaps not even notice the tides of flavours that sweep across our table and palettes, except when you have a friend visiting every few years for whom these changes can seem like big leaps rather than the gentle waves they feel like when it’s your every day.
His most recent visit was no different. Traveling alone this time (we missed you S, M & N x) his request was as easy going as him, to keep it simple and fresh. After a simple steak on the BBQ and tomato and burrata salad for dinner, breakfast was equally straight forward with smoky aussie bacon, free range eggs and crusty rustic sourdough in the sun. Our time together this time was sadly short but after that brekky we had one final meal to squeeze in, his request, one more aussie country pub lunch. We wandered along the windy road that wends it’s way through vineyards, and hobby farms on a hot blustery day. Pulling up at our local evoked a smile and keen stride inside from our visitor, keen to enjoy some familiar ‘pub grub.’ Lined with original polished old timber walls the view through the rear windows opens out on to rolling hills where horses graze and towering gums wave in the breeze…home. Local wine and glasses of cold frothy beer kept us busy while we perused the menu. C and Hubby ordered classic Parmas (chicken parmigiana for overseas readers) but our visitor was curious about one dish, a starter which intrigued him. Admittedly it’s ingredients were familiar to me, common on Aussie shelves and tables but together not so much. As intrigued as him we ordered a plate to keep our tummy rumbles at bay. As you’d expect C was impressed with lots of lip smacking oooo’s and ahhh’s, asking lots of questions about the ‘what and how.’
So was I. I’d not used Kataifi Pastry before though obviously had eaten it at restaurants. This seemed like an easy and delicious place to start.
Makes 12 fingers
Ingredients:
250 gm block of Haloumi cheese
A packet of Kataifi pastry. You won’t use the whole packet but it will freeze well packed in an airtight bag or container.
Extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tb Honey
2 Tbs toasted pistachios
½ tsp chilli flakes
Figs, grapes, or dried fruit of your choice such as raisins or dates to serve.
Method:
Slice Haloumi into 12 fingers. The block I used resulted in 1.2cm ‘round’ fingers but you do you. I wouldn’t go smaller but larger is fine. Pat dry with paper towel of any remaining brine, set aside. Unravel, roughly a handful of Kataifi. From personal experience I can tell you it’s tricky and messy but I promise it will work. Cut strands into roughly 8cm lengths in 2cm ribbons (as pictured). Place a finger of haloumi on the end of the pastry ribbon collecting the ends, holding them as you roll tucking as needed. Allow to sit, ends underneath, to settle while you tidy up and pre-heat the pan.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat with a 1cm deep pool of olive oil on the base. When oil is viscous on swirling use the wooden spoon trick or drop a few strands of pastry in the oil, if bubbles appear all over the strands the oil is ready. Remove the test pastry from the oil. Place the fingers of wrapped cheese in the oil cooking a few minutes each side until golden and crisp. All together turning four times it should take no more than 10 minutes but trust your own instincts, cooking to your preference whilst remembering they will keep cooking briefly after removing. Drain on paper towel.
Assemble on a serving plate in a pile. Drizzle honey over the top whilst hot. You need the honey to be runny so feel free to warm briefly in the microwave to loosen it (20 seconds). Sprinkle over chilli flakes and chopped pistachios to taste. serve with pieces of fruit alongside. You could serve your figs or grapes fresh as I have or grill them briefly on a griddle pan.