aubergine-wrapped halloumi with pomegranate dressing
last year i had a really delicious meal at maria elia’s restaurant, joe’s, and so when i noticed she had a new book out, i couldn’t resist picking up a copy. quite a few of the recipes in full of flavour have caught my eye, not least a chicken liver pate that, unlike every other version i have ever made, is not loaded with butter. however, it was something simple that i kicked off with – halloumi cheese, sprinkled with lemon and oregano then wrapped in aubergine, warmed through under the grill and served with a pomegranate dressing.
dennis cotter has a similar recipe, but in his case the aubergine-wrapped halloumi has a roast garlic and shallot raita accompaniment. however, as with dennis’ recipe, it is the dressing that is the star of the show and what brings the dish together, halloumi and aubergine both being ingredients that happily allow other flavours to shine.
to make maria’s dressing, mix together 5 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses, a crushed garlic clove, a dash of red wine vinegar and a tablespoon of honey. loosen the dressing with a tablespoon of water and season to taste.