Ballyhubbuck Halloumi, Charred Apricots, Raw Courgette Salad & Spiced Treacle Glaze

Fri, 19 June 2026

Ballyhubbuck Halloumi, Charred Apricots, Raw Courgette Salad & Spiced Treacle Glaze

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500g Ballyhubbuck halloumi, cut into thick slabs
• 6 ripe apricots, halved and stoned
• 2 courgettes, peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
• 4 tbsp good olive oil, plus extra for griddling
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 75g pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
• Good handful of fresh mint, torn
• Good handful of fresh basil, torn
• Sea salt and black pepper

For the glaze

• 4 tbsp good olive oil
• 2 tbsp aleppo chilli flakes
• 2 tsp sumac
• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp capers
• 4 tbsp black treacle
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• A dash of water if needed to loosen

Method

Heat the olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced garlic, aleppo chilli, sumac and capers and toast gently for 2 minutes until the garlic is golden and the spices are fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in the black treacle and red wine vinegar. Season well. You are looking for a runny honey consistency — something that coats and drizzles beautifully. If it feels too thick add a small dash of water and stir through until you reach the right consistency. Set aside.

Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot. Drizzle the halloumi slabs and apricot halves with a little olive oil. Lay the halloumi on the griddle and do not touch it. Cook for 2-3 minutes until you have deep, dark char lines then flip and repeat on the other side. Do the same with the apricots, cut side down, until caramelised and golden. You want bold, almost-burnt colour on both — that bitter char is a flavour in itself and holds up beautifully against the creamy cheese and sweet fruit.

Once charred, transfer the halloumi and apricots together onto a roasting tray and roast in a hot oven at 200°C for 5 minutes. This finishes them off beautifully and lets the apricots caramelise down further into the halloumi.

Meanwhile peel the courgettes into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Toss in the olive oil, lemon juice, chopped chilli, pistachios, mint and basil and a good pinch of salt. Set aside.

Remove the halloumi and apricots from the oven. Cut each apricot half into two — generous pieces that hold their shape. Lay everything across a wide flat platter, then pour the treacle-aleppo glaze generously from a height over the halloumi and apricots — slowly so it coats everything in that dark, glossy, bittersweet dressing.

Dress the courgette salad one final time, then lay it on top of the glazed halloumi and apricots. . Serve immediately from the platter.