Griddled halloumi with watermelon & caper breadcrumbs

This salad has a great interplay of textures, temperatures and flavours. Toss juicy watermelon with salty cheese, crispy breadcrumbs, capers, almonds and mint

Prep:30 mins
Cook:15 mins

Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 653
fat 51g
saturates 17g
carbs 25g
sugars 16g
fibre 1g
protein 24g
salt 2.8g

Ingredients

750g watermelon
2 small shallots, very finely sliced
100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing and to serve
4 tsp white balsamic vinegar
300g halloumi, sliced
good squeeze of lemon juice
75g slightly stale country bread, crusts removed, blitzed into coarse breadcrumbs
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ medium red chilli, halved, deseeded and chopped
2½ tbsp capers, rinsed
50g blanched almonds, toasted and chopped
small bunch of mint, leaves picked, half of them torn

Method

Cut the watermelon into either cubes or slices and transfer to a bowl with the shallots. Add 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and the balsamic, then season with fresh black pepper. Cover and put in the fridge for about 15-20 mins.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan. Fry the breadcrumbs until turning gold. Add the garlic, chilli and capers and cook for another minute, then toss in the almonds. Remove from the heat, add the torn mint (it will wilt a little), then taste – it will be quite salty, but the watermelon won’t be, so you’ll get a good contrast.
Brush the halloumi with a little oil and heat a griddle pan. Griddle the cheese on both sides until just starting to melt but still holding its shape, with nice golden griddle marks. Toss the cold watermelon and shallots with the rest of the mint leaves and some salt. Divide between four plates, or pile onto a platter. Put the hot halloumi on top. Squeeze over some lemon juice and top with some of the breadcrumb and caper mix. Serve immediately.