Pan-Fried Halloumi with Fennel, Olive & Mint Compote

By tammy1365

Ingredients

• 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium fennel bulb, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1-1/4 cups)
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 pitted Kalamata olives, slivered (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup minced fresh mint
• 1 8-oz. package halloumi cheese, cut into 1/4- to 3/8-inch-thick slices

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from finecooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a heavy, 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat until hot. Add the fennel and onions and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften (but don’t let them brown), 4 to 5 min. Reduce the heat to medium low, add 1/4 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and continue to cook until the vegetables soften completely, another 3 to 5 min. Turn the heat to low and stir in the olives, lemon zest, mint, and the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Set a large (preferably 12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (no oil is necessary) until hot, about 1 minute. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, cook the halloumi until golden in spots, about 2 min. Flip and cook until the second side of each slice is golden, about 2 min. more. Reduce the heat as needed if the halloumi is browning too fast.

Shingle the halloumi on a serving platter. Stir the compote and spoon half of it over the halloumi. Serve immediately with the remaining compote on the side.