A perfect balance of the salty cheese glazed in sweet honey with pops of brightness from the roast lemon and nutty earthiness from the poppy. A top tier salad – makes an easy and satisfying lunch or starter. 

The Lemon: Use unwaxed lemons. Remove any pips from the slices before roasting. Yes, you can eat the roast lemon slices, skin and all. The key is to slice them as finely as possible – you’ll need a sharp knife for this. They will bring a lovely marmaladey bitterness that works particularly well with the honey in this recipe. 

Ingredients

Makes 2-3 portions
250g block halloumi cheese, sliced along the length at roughly 1cm thickness
1 red onion, sliced into wedges
A very good handful of mixed leaves, washed (I’ve used watercress and radicchio here)
1 tbsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp runny honey
1 waxed seedless lemon, half of it sliced very finely
Neutral oil for cooking
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Looking for substitutions?

Mix up the leaves for seasonal favourites – watercress, radicchio and bitter leaves would be great in the winter, while you could opt for baby gem, spinach or rocket in summer.
Sub the poppy seeds for sesame seeds or a pinch of nigella seeds or chilli flakes.

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 190c fan. Place the lemon slices and onion wedges in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Scatter over the thyme and drizzle with oil. Roast until the onion is tender and the lemon is golden, but not burnt (20-25 mins)
2. Meanwhile place a large pan over a high heat with a little oil. Add the halloumi slices and cook until golden on the underside. Turn, then add the honey and poppy seeds and turn down the heat. Let it cook for a minute or so to start to coat the halloumi then remove from the heat
3. Mix together the salad leaves, roast lemon and onion with a little olive oil, a squeeze of the remaining lemon and salt to taste
4. Layer the salad with the halloumi pieces in bowls and drizzle over any of the poppy seed honey left in the pan

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