Greek Salad with Pan-Fried Haloumi Recipe

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ripe tomatoes, halved and cut into thirds
• 2 Lebanese (short) cucumbers, quartered lengthways and cut into chunks
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1 cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup Kalamata, or other black olives
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 9 oz haloumi cheese, cut lengthways into 1/2-inch slices

1. Place the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomato, cucumber, onion, mint, parsley, and olives. Toss until the salad is evenly coated with the dressing.
2. Place a large frying pan over a medium to high heat and add the olive oil. Cook the haloumi slices for 1 minute on each side, or until golden. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Divide the salad among four serving plates and top with the haloumi slices.

Beverage pairing: Moraitis Sillogi Moraiti, Greece. Even though you’ve never heard of the grape varieties in this wine—monemvasia, malagouzia, and assyrtiko—they blend together to make one of the most delightful dry whites you will have tasted in a long time. Floral, crisp, and fresh with hints of olive leaves and brine, it’s Greek through and through, and thus the perfect accompaniment for this crisp, aromatic salad.