The back catalogue – a Lebanese salad

The following recipe is a take on a Lebanese mezze dish, it's a perfect vegetarian addition to a mezze.

Halloumi and pomegranate salad

Serves 6 as an appetiser

50g walnuts, toasted and chopped

250g Halloumi – sliced

salt, black pepper and a heaped teaspoon

of sumac – optional - see below

2 tbsp olive oil

cherry tomatoes, halved

Warm the oil in a frying pan. Mix the salt, pepper and sumac in a container with a lid and shake well to combine. Coat the sliced halloumi and fry for 1-2 minutes each side – set aside and keep warm, add the tomatoes. Serve in small bowls, sprinkle with walnuts and drizzle with dressing.

Pomegranate Dressing

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

juice of two limes

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Generous pinch of nigella seeds

1-2 tsps sumac

Mix all the ingredients together. Drizzle over the halloumi and tomatoes.

In case you've not come across sumac, it's a spice used in the Middle East made from ground berries which give a sweet and sour fruit flavour. It's used as a substitute for lemons in stews but also as a “sprinkle” over meats and salads. There's a spice blend called Za'atar and sumac is one of the key ingredients.

It's a question of personal taste - if you're a fan of “zingy” flavours - whether you coat the halloumi with sumac, as well as including it in the dressing.

Serve with warmed mini pitta breads!

Mini pancakes anyone?