Hot Honey Halloumi and Dill Fattoush with Pomegranate and Lime Vinaigrette

Preheat your oven to 220˚C/200˚C fan.

To make the lime and pomegranate vinaigrette, Place your cumin and coriander seeds into a small dry frying pan over a medium heat. Swirl gently and allow to toast (careful they don’t burn) for 2–3 minutes. You should be able to clearly smell the toasted spices. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, add all the remaining ingredients to a blender. Once cooled, add your toasted seeds. Use the pulse setting to blitz the dressing – you want the liquid to emulsify, but you don’t want to over-grind the spices. Rather, aim to crack them so they release their best flavours and give a nice crunch to the dressing. Store in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

For the hot honey, measure the ingredients straight into a glass jar and use a spoon to mix well, then put the lid on. Store in a cool, dry place and stir before use – the spice will integrate more with time, so this is best used after it has had a couple of hours to sit. It will keep for up to 3 weeks.

For the quick pickled onions, cut the onion in half through the root and peel off the papery skin. Place cut side down on a chopping board with the root facing towards the hand you’re keeping it steady with. Slice the onion as thinly as your knife skills allow, or use a mandolin to slice your onion into whole circle or half-moon slices, then repeat with the other half. Push down into a jar or airtight container.

Add the salt, sugar and vinegar, and stir well. Finally, add the boiling water and use a spoon to push the onion slices under the surface of the liquid. Put the lid on and give your jar or container a good shake to help dissolve the sugar and salt. Label and keep in your fridge for up to 2 weeks. Note: the onions will turn a bright pink within an hour or so – after a week, the colour will fade to a purple, but they are still fine to eat.

Slice your pittas along the seams to give you 4 ovals, then slice 4 times across the width and 3 times down the length to give you rectangles. Place your pitta chips into a bowl and add the sesame oil, the fennel, cumin and coriander seeds and a pinch of sea salt. Use your hands to mix well and coat your pitta. Place into a roasting dish lined with parchment paper, making sure you use a plastic spatula to scrape all the oil and seeds that haven’t stuck to the pitta into the roasting tray too. Roast for 8 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Leave on the tray to cool.

Top and tail the radishes, and then cut into quarters. Place into some iced water to crisp up.

Slice your cucumber in half lengthways, then use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds. Slice each half lengthways into thirds, then chop across the strands at 1cm intervals to give you small dice. Place in a serving bowl.

Quarter your cherry tomatoes and add them to the bowl.

Remove and discard the bottom 5cm of the parsley and dill stems, and pick the mint leaves from the stalks. Set aside a couple of sprigs of dill for garnish, then pile the herbs together and roughly chop before adding to the mixed vegetables. Dress the herby vegetables with 3 tablespoons of Pomegranate + Lime Vinaigrette, then mix in the pitta chips.

Slice the halloumi into 1–2cm-thick slices. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. When sizzling hot, add your halloumi in a single layer using metal tongs. After 2 minutes, drizzle 1 tablespoon of Hot Honey over the halloumi, then turn to cook on the other side. Leave for 3 minutes, or until the bottom takes on a dark golden colour. Once it is well coloured, turn over once more to finish colouring the first side. Use tongs to place your warm halloumi over the chopped salad.

Top your salad with the radishes and Quick Pickled Onions. Add 3–4 more tablespoons of Pomegranate + Lime Vinaigrette and finish with a generous pinch of sea salt and a couple of sprigs of dill. Serve immediately for the best halloumi texture!

TIP: Skip the pitta chips and instead warm some whole pittas, line them with a little drizzle of Hot Honey, then fill them with the dressed chopped vegetables and halloumi for something to take on the road.