Asparagus with sizzling haloumi and preserved lemon
This is a 'wow' sort of starter, though it is pretty easy to execute.
- prepare
- 4 servings
Alternatively, serve it as a vegetarian main – perhaps bulk up the asparagus and haloumi – and serve with garlicky bruschetta and a green leaf salad with fresh chopped mandarin or tangelo segments. I like this with goat’s cheese just as much as with haloumi. You choose!
Strawberries with asparagus may sound weird, but it works because of the lemon. In this recipe, preserved lemon and lemon juice are key ingredients. Lemon makes strawberries taste sweeter, and that ties the dish together. Chopped toasted hazelnuts on top add crunch and a nutty flavour, and slices of sizzling haloumi add salty, squeaky, buttery goodness. If you don’t want to use chopped hazelnuts, dukkah would work well.
Ingredients
- Half a preserved lemon
- 750g asparagus
- Salt
- 3 Tbsp butter
- Flaky sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh nutmeg
- 200g haloumi, sliced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp chopped toasted hazelnuts
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the preserved lemon under running water, removing the pulp; discard the pulp. Pat the rind dry and slice thinly.
- Trim the asparagus and cook them quickly in a large frying pan of gently boiling, lightly salted water until they are tender but still firm. Drain. Dry the pan, add one tablespoon of butter, and return it to a gentle heat. Add the preserved lemon and let it sizzle for a few minutes, then add the asparagus. Season with flaky sea salt, black pepper, and a grating of fresh nutmeg if available. Keep warm over a gentle heat while quickly frying the haloumi.
- Pat the haloumi dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat, and when the pan is hot, add two tablespoons of butter. When the butter is sizzling, add the cheese and fry quickly on both sides until golden, turning carefully with a spatula and spoon.
- Dish the asparagus onto warmed plates, scraping in all the buttery lemony juices. Top with the sizzling haloumi, sprinkle with hazelnuts, drizzle with oil and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
- To make a version of this recipe with goat’s cheese instead of haloumi, chill 200-220g (2 small logs) of soft fresh goat’s cheese in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.Briefly blend ¼ cup panko crumbs or homemade dried crumbs in a small blender or crush with a rolling pin to make them finer.Slice the cheese into rounds using a very hot, slightly wet knife (lift the slices off the knife and run the knife under hot water between slices).Coat the cheese slices with crumbs and pan-fry as per the haloumi instructions above, then serve with the asparagus.
