Grilled halloumi and bean salad with skewered potatoes
Halloumi is that hard, white, salty goat's milk cheese that
squeaks when you bite it. It grills really well and is the perfect complement
to the lovely fresh-tasting flavors of the vegetables. This salad can be
grilled on the stovetop, but if you are planning to use the barbecue for
another dish, use that, and take advantage of the initial hot blast of heat
from the coals.
Thread five potatoes on to each skewer, and cook in a large
pan of salted boiling water for about 7 minutes, or until almost tender. Add
the green beans and cook for 3 minutes more. Tip in the broad beans and cook
for just 2 minutes. Drain all the vegetables in a large colander. Remove the
potatoes, still on their skewers, from the colander, and then refresh the
cooked broad beans under plenty of cold running water. Pop each broad bean out
of its skin to reveal the bright green inner bean. Place the beans in a bowl,
cover and set aside.
Place the halloumi slices and the potato skewers in a wide
dish. Whisk the garlic and oil together with a generous grinding of black
pepper. Add to the dish and toss the halloumi and potato skewers in the
mixture. Once the flames have died down, rake the coals over to one side.
Position a grill rack over the coals to heat.
When the coals are hot, or with a light coating of ash, heat
a griddle until a few drops of water sprinkled on to the surface evaporate
instantly. Place the cheese and potato skewers in the griddle and cook over the
coals for about 2 minutes on each side. If they over-char, move the griddle to
the cooler side of the grill rack.
Add the vinegar to the oil and garlic remaining in the dish
and whisk to mix. Toss in the beans, herbs and spring onions, with the cooked
halloumi. Serve, with the potato skewers lay alongside.
Serves 4
20 baby new potatoes, total weight about 300g/11oz
200g/7oz extra fine green beans, trimmed
675g/1 ½ lb broad (fava) beans, shelled (shelled weight
about 225g/8oz)
200g/7oz halloumi cheese, cut into 5mm/ ¼ in slices
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a large pinch of
salt
90ml/6 tbsp olive oil
5ml/1 tsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
15g/ ½ oz/ ½ cup fresh basil leaves, shredded
45ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh savory
2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
Salt and ground black pepper 4 metal or wooden skewers |
