Grape, halloumi and pomegranate salad

It’s basically summer in London! So me and Miss Salted Cod had a stroll around Ridley Road market (bit more info about that market in the middle of this post if you fancy going) and enjoyed the sunshine bashing down on Hackney’s back alleys. The result of our little shop is this delicious salad (according to Miss Salted Cod one of the best ones she’s ever had), the recipe for which we got from Holly S. Warah’s website on Arabic food and thought. We altered it a little by adding freshly chopped coriander instead of thyme, and ignored clarifying the butter because there was no time to make it. Curious to make it again with clarified stuff and see how it would change, though.

The result it a ticklingly sweet, tangy salad with a filling counter in the salty halloumi which is incredibly satisfying. It’s definitely substantial enough to go into a lunchbox, especially if you have the vinaigrette in a side-container. Good for breaks in the park (or perhaps a sunny rooftop) from revision for exams, as its zesty streaks will liven up any fatigued mind in a second.

You need:

• 1 pomegranate
• 1 pack of halloumi (cubed into small snack-size pieces)
• 1/2 head of curly lettuce (iceberg is a bit dull, colour-wise, for this one)
• 1 coffee mug full of grapes
• 1 handful cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 handful chopped coriander

For the dressing:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (good quality really makes a difference)
• 1 clove of garlic, very finely chopped (or crushed in a garlic crush)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (this can be found in Turkish or middle Eastern speciality shops)
• Zest of 1 lemon

Start by making the dressing – finely chop the garlic, mix everything together in a little jam jar or something with a lid, and leave it on the side. Wash the salad, grapes and tomatoes, break up the salad into a bowl, adding the other veg too. Break up the pomegranate discarding everything but the seeds, and add that too the salad mix. Heat up some olive oil in a pan and let the halloumi cubes fry until they’ve turned golden and crispy. Take them off the heat and pat them dry on some paper, or if you don’t have any, pour off some of the liquid that emerges out of the cheese whilst you are frying it. Scatter into the salad in the bowl, add the dressing and toss around. Done!

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