The Quintessential Halloumi

So, you fancy making traditional halloumi at home? Brilliant idea! There’s nothing quite like biting into a piece of scrumptious, tangy halloumi that you’ve crafted with your own hands—it’s pure bliss. Plus, when you use high-quality goat or sheep milk, you’ll be transported to the sun-soaked fields of Cyprus with every bite. Now, let’s get cracking on this cheesy venture!

Ingredients

2 litres	fresh sheep milk
2 litres	fresh goat milk
5 ml (1 tsp)	rennet
60 ml (4 tbsp)	freshly squeezed lemon juice
1	salt to taste

2 litres

fresh sheep milk

2 litres

fresh goat milk

5 ml (1 tsp)

rennet

60 ml (4 tbsp)

freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt to taste

method of cooking

1	First, heat your fresh goat & sheep milk to roughly 32°C (90°F). Once it hits that sweet spot, stir in the rennet. Let it sit for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until it forms a nice firm curd.
2	Next up, cut the curd into 1 cm (1/2 inch) cubes and let it rest for 5 minutes. This will allow the whey to start separating.
3	Slowly heat the curds to 38°C (100°F), stirring gently to prevent them from sticking together. Keep this up for about 20 minutes.
4	Scoop the curds into a cheesecloth-lined mould and let them drain for an hour. Press them firmly to drain out as much whey as possible.
5	Once the curds are fully drained, slice the resulting cheese into blocks and place them in a pot of simmering whey. Cook these blocks at around 85°C (185°F) for 15-20 minutes until they float to the top.
6	Transfer the cooked cheese blocks to a brine solution made from water and salt. Soak them for at least 24 hours, allowing the saltiness and texture to develop perfectly.
7	Finally, sprinkle the halloumi with some freshly squeezed lemon juice for that extra tang, and serve as you fancy.

First, heat your fresh goat & sheep milk to roughly 32°C (90°F). Once it hits that sweet spot, stir in the rennet. Let it sit for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until it forms a nice firm curd.

Next up, cut the curd into 1 cm (1/2 inch) cubes and let it rest for 5 minutes. This will allow the whey to start separating.

Slowly heat the curds to 38°C (100°F), stirring gently to prevent them from sticking together. Keep this up for about 20 minutes.

Scoop the curds into a cheesecloth-lined mould and let them drain for an hour. Press them firmly to drain out as much whey as possible.

Once the curds are fully drained, slice the resulting cheese into blocks and place them in a pot of simmering whey. Cook these blocks at around 85°C (185°F) for 15-20 minutes until they float to the top.

Transfer the cooked cheese blocks to a brine solution made from water and salt. Soak them for at least 24 hours, allowing the saltiness and texture to develop perfectly.

Finally, sprinkle the halloumi with some freshly squeezed lemon juice for that extra tang, and serve as you fancy.