Name: Brown-Butter Halloumi with Pistachio Praline & Orange-Blossom Honey
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 8 oz halloumi (cut into 8–12 slices (≈1 cm thick)); 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 oz shelled pistachios (toasted and roughly chopped); 1.8 oz caster sugar (for praline); 2 tbsp orange-blossom or runny honey (about 42 g); Juice of ½ lemon; Small handful mint leaves (torn); Pinch flaky sea salt and black pepper

Contents

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Why you’ll love it
Golden, squeaky halloumi with a glossy honey drizzle and a scattering of emerald pistachios is my favourite kind of quick show-stopper — it looks like you’ve fussed, but it barely takes any time at all. I first made this at a last-minute summer get-together and everyone kept coming back for more, so it’s become one of those recipes I reach for when I want something simple that feels special. The contrast of salty, caramelised cheese, warm floral honey and crunchy toasted pistachios is pure comfort — brightened with a squeeze of lemon and a few fresh mint leaves it never fails to feel a bit celebratory.

Serves: 4 as a starter (2–3 slices each)
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 8–10 minutes
Total: ~15 minutes

Ingredients

8.0 oz halloumi (about 0.5 lb / 225 g), cut into 8–12 slices (~1/3″ / 1 cm thick)
1.76 oz unsalted butter (≈ 3½ tbsp / 50 g)
2.12 oz shelled pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped (≈ ½ cup / 60 g)
1.76 oz caster sugar (≈ ¼ cup / 50 g) use superfine sugar if you can’t find caster
1.48 oz orange-blossom or runny honey (≈ 2 tbsp / 42 g)
Juice of ½ lemon
Small handful mint leaves, torn
Pinch flaky sea salt and black pepper

Equipment

Non-stick frying pan
Small heavy-bottomed saucepan (for praline)
Wooden spoon or spatula
Baking parchment or tray

Method

Toast & prep: Toast pistachios in a dry pan over medium heat 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Cool and roughly chop. Line a tray with parchment.
Make pistachio praline: In a small saucepan, heat caster sugar over medium without stirring (swirl pan occasionally) until it melts to a deep amber. Remove from heat, quickly stir in chopped pistachios and pour onto the parchment. Allow to set, then rough-crush into shards. Be careful — hot sugar is extremely hot.
Brown the butter: In a frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook until foaming subsides and the milk solids turn golden and smell nutty (about 2 minutes). Remove from pan into a small bowl (or wipe pan and reserve butter in it for the halloumi).
Griddle the halloumi: Wipe the pan clean if needed, heat to medium-high, add halloumi slices and cook 2–3 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp.
Finish: Arrange hot halloumi on a serving plate, spoon over a little browned butter, drizzle with orange-blossom honey, scatter pistachio praline shards and torn mint, squeeze lemon over the top and finish with flakes of sea salt and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Storage & Make-ahead

Praline can be made 2 days ahead and stored airtight. Halloumi is best served fresh; reheat briefly on a hot pan if needed.

Variations

Swap orange-blossom honey for regular runny honey with a tiny pinch of ground cardamom.
For a vegan take, use a plant-based frying block and maple syrup; replace praline with toasted seeds.

Estimated nutrition (per serving — 4 servings)

Per serving (≈120 g): 485 kcal • 17 g protein • 38 g fat • 13 g saturated fat • 22 g carbs • 19 g sugars • 1 g fibre • 900 mg sodium

Ella Cooks