Haloumi and zucchini fritters

Photo: Marina Oliphant

Recipes with haloumi. Originally from Cyprus, haloumi is a brined cheese that has a distinctive squeaky texture and salty tang. It's great for frying because of a high melting point, but it also has lots of other cooking applications and works brilliantly in salads.

Haloumi and zucchini fritters

Entree, finger food, side dish, breakfast; these fritters are rather versatile. They're great served with tzatziki or just minted yoghurt, and they also go well with chicken, grilled lamb and fish.

6 medium zucchini

1/4 tsp salt flakes, plus extra for salting the zucchini

200g plain flour

50g cornflour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 large eggs

2 spring onions, sliced

1 clove garlic, very finely chopped or grated on a Microplane

250g haloumi cheese, chopped into 1cm dice

1/2 bunch mint, half chopped, half whole

300ml vegetable oil or olive oil

tzatziki, to serve (see tip)

1 lemon, quartered

1. Coarsely grate the zucchini, sprinkle with salt and let sit for five minutes before squeezing out excess moisture. You will need about three cups of zucchini after salting.

2. Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and cumin into a large bowl. Add the salt and combine. Make a well in the centre.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then mix in the zucchini. Gradually add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until you have a smooth, lump-free, but quite stiff, batter.

4. Fold in the spring onions, garlic, haloumi and chopped mint.

5. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium heat then drop in two tablespoons of batter for each fritter. Cook about four fritters at a time, depending on the size of your pan, but don't overcrowd them.

6. Cook fritters for two minutes or until the underside of each one is golden. Cook the other side for two minutes then drain on crumpled paper towel.

7. Serve with tzatziki, mint leaves and a squeeze of lemon.

Tip To make your own tzatziki, grate some cucumber, vigorously squeeze out the water with your hands, and mix through thick plain yoghurt with a pinch of salt and a bit of finely grated garlic.

Drink Mint tea, albarino, or German pilsner

Serves 4-6

www.goodfood.com.au Sydney Morning Herald.

Tuesday March 12th, 2013