Lemony Broiled Potatoes With Halloumi Cheese Recipe (2024)

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Browned on top, creamy on bottom, and bright with lemon.

Michael Harlan Turkell

Michael Harlan Turkell is a once-aspiring chef and now an award-winning food photographer and writer. He has photographed many prominent chefs’ cookbooks, co-authored a few, and even wrote one of his own: ACID TRIP: Travels in the Word of Vinegar (2017).

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Updated April 21, 2023

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Why It Works

The lemon juice not only adds flavor but also steams the potatoes from below, giving them a creamy texture.
Slicing the potatoes thinly and leaving them in a single shingled layer ensures they cook through in a short time under the broiler.

The Greeks do potatoes right.

Often in Greek cooking, you'll find slices of lemon-drenched potatoes slowly roasted in the juices of whatever meat is cooking alongside, absorbing those deeply flavored drippings. The result is something that's at once crispy and soft. There are several variations on this basic theme, such aspatates fournou, with garlic added, andpatates ladorigani, abundant with oregano.

I’ve always thought that this Greek approach to potatoes would make a sublime base for agratin. Although there’s no dairy in the Greek recipes, they magically merge all the right notes of creamy mashed potatoes and faultless French fries. I could only imagine that adding a squeaky layer of halloumi cheese on top would bring these potatoes to mythological levels.

My challenge was that I was dead set on making the recipe work using the broiler—traditionally, Greek potatoes are slow-roasted, but the broiler doesn't really do "slow" at all.

The key to success is twofold. First, unlike withroasted potatoes, which I'd cut into larger chunks, I use thinly sliced Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe, which cook through more quickly. But second, to ensure success, I also broil the shingled slices in only a single layer, leaving the whole thing thin enough for the heat to quickly penetrate and cook the potatoes.

With that small problem solved, all that remains is to focus on the crowning achievement of a gratin: the top. That firm yet supple layer protects what’s underneath, while offering its own unique character. It’s the most coveted part of a gratin, without exception, and don’t you dare tell me otherwise. Luckily, the broiler is more than up to that part of the job.

Lemony Broiled Potatoes With Halloumi Cheese Recipe (3)

I start the recipe by coating the bottom of a cast iron skillet with a slick of olive oil—just enough fat to keep the dish from feeling too starchy, but not so much that it comes across as greasy. On top of that, I add my shingled layer of potato rounds and a seasoning of salt and pepper.

Into the broiler it goes, until the potatoes are evenly cooked and browned on top, like diner home fries fresh off the griddle. I then add a good glug of lemon juice to the pan, which not only adds needed brightness to the dish but also provides enough water to steam the undersides of the potatoes, delivering that creamy texture below the crisp top.

The lemon juice also helps form a pseudopan saucethat's tangy and rich, just like one you’d expect to see with roasted meats. A flourish of lemon zest on top adds aromatic citrus oils that release with the quick blast of high heat.

Lemony Broiled Potatoes With Halloumi Cheese Recipe (4)

Instead of flambéing the halloumi at the table, as one does withsaganaki(the Greek appetizer of flaming fried cheese), all I need is my trusty broiler. I lay the cheese on top of the potatoes, return the pan to the broiler, and, much as with the potato, let the cheese warm through as it browns—no need for pyrotechnics. I finish it all off with a dusting of floral dried oregano. All you need now is some roast meat to go with it.

September 2018

Recipe Details

Lemony Broiled Potatoes With Halloumi Cheese

Active30 mins

Total30 mins

Serves2to 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (30ml)extra virgin olive oil
1 pound (450g) Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thick
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon, plus zest of 1 lemon
8 ounces (225g) halloumi cheese, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Directions

Preheat broiler and set top oven rack about 6 inches from broiler element. Add olive oil to a 12-inch cast iron skillet and spread evenly all over.
Add potatoes, shingling the slices around the pan in a single circular layer. Season with salt and pepper.
Broil until the potatoes have puffed up slightly, mostly cooked through, and browned on top, about 7 minutes.
Pour lemon juice all over potatoes and sprinkle zest on top. Add halloumi cheese in an even layer on top and broil until cheese is golden brown all over and potatoes are fully cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Sprinkle oregano on top and serve.

Special Equipment

12-inch cast iron skillet

Gluten-free Sides
Vegetarian Sides
Roasted Vegetables
Cheese
Yukon Gold Potatoes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
339	Calories
20g	Fat
27g	Carbs
15g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2to 4
Amount per serving
Calories	339
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	25%
Saturated Fat 8g	42%
Cholesterol 44mg	15%
Sodium 800mg	35%
Total Carbohydrate 27g	10%
Dietary Fiber 3g	10%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 17mg	84%
Calcium 315mg	24%
Iron 2mg	10%
Potassium 674mg	14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

FAQs

Do you have to soak halloumi before cooking? ›

Why do you soak halloumi before cooking? While completely optional, many swear by this step for a softer, more flavourful, and sweeter result that will set your halloumi apart from all others. The easiest method is to soak the whole block of cheese in cold water for at least two hours (or overnight if you have time).

What are the rules for halloumi? ›

It should be noted that currently, the minimum ratio of goat and sheep milk in the raw materials used for halloumi production stands at 25%, and within five years, this minimum quota must increase to 50%. Follow in-cyprus on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.

See Details ›

Should you soak halloumi cheese? ›

Allow the halloumi to soak for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1-2 hours for better results.

How long to soak halloumi in boiling water? ›

Put the halloumi into a bowl and boil a kettle of water. Pour the boiling water over the halloumi and leave for 20 minutes. This will make the cheese really soft and smooth in the centre when cooked.

Keep Reading ›

Can you eat halloumi straight from the packet? ›

In the Middle East, halloumi is usually fried or grilled to take advantage of its high melting point. Although halloumi can be eaten straight from the packet, some chefs recommend soaking it in buttermilk for a day or two before preparing, to give it a richer, less salty flavour.

Show Me More ›

How to desalt halloumi? ›

Slice and cover in (ideally hot) milk or hot water and simmer for up to 5 minutes in a frying pan on a low heat. Water does soften the cheese, but I find that is no bad thing. Use a spatula to gently squeeze the cheese to remove extra salt / remove it faster.

Find Out More ›