Strawberry panzanella with honey-glazed halloumi
This is loosely based on a tomato and halloumi panzanella recipe we have in our book. I love a panzanella because firstly, it’s an excuse to eat bread in a salad and secondly, it’s a great way to use up slightly stale bread. You can make this with any leftover bread, but I do think a good sourdough or ciabatta works best.
When we had such a glut of strawberries this year I thought maybe you could replace some of the tomatoes in a classic panzanella with ripe strawberries. I initially tried roasting the strawberries with balsamic and then adding them, but though it was delicious I felt like the textures weren’t quite right. I made it again the following evening with raw strawberries and thought it was even better. The strawberries release deliciously sticky juices when marinated in the balsamic and seasoning, which soaks into the crispy bread! And cooking halloumi with the honey lemon glaze is a game-changer! Use it on this salad or anytime you fry halloumi!
Serves 4 as a starter or a side (or 2 hungry people for a main)
150g ripe tomatoes
300g ripe strawberries
1 teaspoon golden caster sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 small clove of garlic, crushed to a paste or finely grated
80g ciabatta or sourdough bread (a couple of days old is best)
2 tablespoons olive oil
50g salad leaves
150g halloumi
1 tablespoon honey
4 teaspoons lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
A couple of small sprigs of thyme, leaves picked off
A teaspoon of thyme flowers (optional)
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Chop the tomatoes into chunks, if they are cherry or plum tomatoes you can halve or quarter them. Hull the strawberries and cut into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Put the tomatoes and strawberries in a large bowl and add the sugar, balsamic vinegar, grated garlic, a couple of generous pinches of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well and then leave the tomatoes and strawberries for 15 minutes to release their juices.
Meanwhile cut or tear the bread into 2cm chunks, put on a baking tray, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt, toss the bread in the oil and put in the oven for 10 minutes until just turning golden.
Put the warm bread into the bowl with the tomatoes and strawberries and all their lovely juices. Stir gently to mix and then set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Put the salad leaves into a bowl, tearing up any larger leaves, and dress with the remaining tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Cut the halloumi into 2cm cubes. Mix together the honey, remaining two teaspoons lemon juice and thyme leaves in a small bowl. Heat a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, once hot add the cubes of halloumi. Fry the cubes for a minute or two on each side until golden brown. Just before taking the halloumi out of the pan add the honey and lemon mixture, it should bubble up in the heat and reduce. Turn the pieces of halloumi over in the honey mixture until coated on all sides.
Put the dressed salad leaves on a platter or individual plates, but the strawberry and bread mixture onto the leaves, put the glazed halloumi on top and sprinkle over the beautiful pink thyme flowers. Serve immediately while the halloumi is still hot and crispy.