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How to Make Your Own Halloumi, with Step by Step Photos!
Guest blog by Arwen’s Thermo Pics
I’m super duper excited to share this blog post with you! Last year I met a gorgeous lady in Hobart while down there for some Quirky Cooking seminars. We share a love for good food, the Thermomix, and food photography. Oh, and halloumi cheese. Yep, halloumi is high on our list of favourite things.
So when Arwen recently decided to take her passion for cooking and photography a step further, I had the brilliant idea of getting her to do a guest post on my blog to show us how to make halloumi! My kids are eating me out of house and halloumi – they’d go through a packet a day if I let them. I think it’s about time we started making our own.
So without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Arwen Genge, of Arwen’s Thermo Pics, who has put together this photo blog for you! Thank you, Arwen, I can’t wait to make some halloumi!!
PS For those of you without a Thermomix, this can also be made on the stovetop – just search for halloumi recipes online for the method!
Introducing Arwen Genge!
(Photo: Making dry ice sorbet from In the Mix!)
(Photo: Making dry ice sorbet from In the Mix!)
Hi! I’m Arwen, a foodie Thermomix consultant based in Hobart, Tasmania. I love inspiring people to try new recipes, plus I’m obsessed with food styling, photography and Instagram 🙂
Have you ever tried making your own halloumi cheese? I am passionate about making things from scratch and have had this on my to do list for about 4 years!! Every time I thought about it I wouldn’t have all the ingredients, but thank goodness all the stars aligned this time and I made this recipe twice in one week. It will definitely be a regular recipe in our house from now on!
I just love grilled halloumi. Its’ salty, squeaky fresh texture just makes me smile and my taste buds dance.
Halloumi with poached eggs, tomatoes, spinach and chorizo
A friend, Suzanne, who used to be a Thermomix consultant, posted this recipe about 4 years ago and I always meant to give it a try. It has been recommended by my customers too. Here is the link to Suzanne’s halloumi recipe on the Thermomix recipe community, and below you can see how to make it, step by step.
You need to start with 2 litres of milk (preferably non-homogenised), some rennet or a junket tablet, and salt. You will also need something to strain it with – either a nut milk bag, some cheese cloth, a clean tea-towel or calico. [Note: you can get rennet from Cheeselinks or junket tablets from grocery stores.]
First heat the milk for 10 mins/37 degrees/speed 1.
Mix the rennet with 1 Tbsp of water (filtered or unchlorinated is better),
or 1 crumbled junket tablet and add to milk.
Stir for 1 min/speed 1.
Pour milk into ThermoServer and let it sit for 1 hour.
Cut the curds into 2 cm strips both ways and at a 45 degree angle.
Let the curds sit for another 10 minutes.
Transfer the curds and whey from the ThermoServer back into the TM bowl.
Reheat for 30 mins/37 degrees/soft speed.
Line the rice basket with the cheesecloth.
Pour the curds and whey into the rice basket over a ThermoServer.
You will need to keep the whey for later.
Cover the curds with cheesecloth and place a heavy weight on top.
You will need to sit the rice basket somewhere while the whey is
being pressed out so the whey can drain away.
Leave for 30 minutes, then turn out of the rice basket.
Cut the curds into pieces.
Pour the whey back into the TM and heat for 5 mins/90 degrees/speed 1.
Put the rice basket in the TM bowl and put the pieces of halloumi back into the rice basket.
Cook for 30 mins/90 degrees/soft speed. The halloumi will rise to the top when it is done.
Brine
Pour off all but 250g of the whey.
Add 250g of boiling water and 50g salt and cook for 5 minutes/100 degrees/speed 1.
The brine is quite salty, as it’s a preserving agent.
If you prefer, you can cut back on the amount of salt – I wouldn’t go lower than about 20g, however.
Let it cool, then put cooked halloumi into a container and cover with brine.
Keeps for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator
* * * * * * * *
Thanks so much to Suzanne for letting us share her amazing recipe!
Now what is your favourite way to serve grilled halloumi? With some fresh chilli and drizzled with olive oil for an afternoon snack? Or Sunday brunch with Thermomix steamed homegrown silverbeet, poached eggs and grilled chorizo? In a salad with smoked salmon avocado and fresh homegrown tomatoes?
The list is endless, it doesn’t matter how you like to eat your halloumi, I hope you are inspired to try making your own in your Thermomix – it is so much fun and so delicious too!
Happy Thermomixing
xx Arwen
Hi, Thanks for the recipe. I’d be interested to know about how much Halloumi you’d expect to end up with?
It’s just a usual sized block, it will fit in the bottom of the steamer basket on the Thermomix. 🙂
Love it, what a great idea! Just wondering where is a common place to buy rennant? I’m not too familiar with it. Thanks 🙂
You can get junket tablets from the supermarket instead of rennet, other wise rennet is usually available at cheese making stores. 🙂
HI Guys
I made this the other night, I am not sure if it is so cold here or what, but I think the cooking needs to be longer in the fist step before the junket goes in, or maybe for a couple of min after the junket goes it so it is dissolved correctly. as mine didn’t separate, so cooked it again and then left in the thermiserver again and then worked a lot better, but was still some curds in the whey.
Also in the last step – assuming that you leave the cheese out when cooking the brine?
thanks
Hi Katie, thanks for your feedback. Yes, you leave the cheese out when you cook the brine. 🙂
Can you make this with other milks like Soy or Amond ???
I made Halloumi today it was real good made some alternatives I added 30gr salt, I cut into four pieces, when cooked flattened each piece and put dried mint and folded this is the Cypriot way adding mint. Thank you
Fantastic to hear Liza…yum!! 🙂
I have followed this recipe many times and am yet to have success
Hmmm, sorry to hear Anna…wonder why that is. At what stage is the process not working?
I found rennet at my local Kitchen Warehouse store, and it was about $5.00 for 10 tabs
Is there a vegetarian alternative to rennet to use?
Junket tablets are vegetarian. 🙂
Oh no they’re not. They’re made from rennet.
Hi
Just wondering if the thermoserver has the lid on for the 1hr wait? Put mine on but no curds have formed after the hour
Hi Riki, the lid can be on or off. Did you use rennet or junket? xx
Im not sure what I did wrong. My curd didn’t set very firm. Hope it turns out 🙁
How did you go in the end Stacey?
Mine has sat in the thermo serve for an hour and has not turned…do I wait longer or go on with the next step? Thanks
Sorry for the very late reply Kylie! Did your halloumi work out in the end? xx
arghhhh I followed all the steps and then poured into the thermoserver and waited for an hour and still no curd though it is slowly getting thicker, should I heat it up again and let it sit for another hour or wait a bit longer??
Don’t stress, it may take longer than time stated! I hope it worked out!
Thank-you both for this recipe..my family loves Halloumi so this will be great! Is this really only possible with dairy milk? I try to avoid dairy so was wondering if it may work with goat/ or any plant milks?
I think goat’s milk will work, I’m not sure about nut milk though, sorry!
Recipe was great!! The halloumi turned out awesome….super pleased, I used liquid vegetarian rennet and it worked well. So exciting!!!
YAY Michelle! 🙂
Can i ask where you bought your rennet from?
Lasts for 1-2 weeks?! Really?! Are you sure?! I don’t think I’ve ever had any last more that 24hrs… 48 at the outside! It’s awesome and far to delicious! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Ha ha!! Yeah, halloumi doesn’t last long at our house, either!!
I’m confused – do I mix the crushed junket tablet with water too?? Dying to try this – buying junket tomorrow. So affordable to make too.
Yes just mix it with the 1 Tbspn water 🙂 Hope it goes well! (Some say it takes longer to set, btw, so be patient with it – it will set!)
Thank you so much Jo! How long is too long to leave it to set? Or just keep checking it? So excited 😀
Also (sorry another question) after the step of adding salt + water to the brine then cooking it, do I cook it by itself? Or with the cheese in the basket in there too? So sorry Jo!
How did it turn out Lauren? 🙂
I’m trying to make this with raw unpasteurised milk. it’s taking a long time to set. I’m wondering if I should have pasteurised it first, like I do with yoghurt. Anyone know?
Sorry for the late reply Michelle – hope it worked out for you! 🙂
Hubby bought $2 milk for the cheese I have made it before with another brand of milk it worked well but doesn’t with $2 milk very disappointed after such a waste of my time & it doesn’t pay to cut corners 😔
Oh dear! Which step of the process didn’t work Cheryl? xx
If I do not have a thermoserve can I use my easiyo yogurt maker?
Have you tried making the Halloumi yet Tina? I’d say your easiyo would be a great alternative to a Thermoserver. 🙂
What if I don’t have s thermo server, can I still make it ?
Hi Vanessa, do you have some other kind of insulated bowl/container?
It has turned out !,,,
With tassie milk
Woohoo!!! 🙂
Amazing. I have to give this a try. It is very difficult to find good Halloumi in China. I miss the Halloumi that we had on holiday in Australia, it was delicious!
Have you tried this yet Wai? 🙂
Is it best to use full cream milk? I accidentally bought “mid-milk” which I presume is like light milk and the yield is alot less than in your pictures. Alternatively, the curds were not firm enough before I cut them…
Yes, full cream unhomogenised milk is best and will yield the most cheese. 🙂 Time to give it another try!! xx
I don’t have a Thermo server. What can I use in place of it? Would a thermos be the same?
You can use any other insulated bowl/container. Bear in mind it may be difficult to get out of a thermos if it has a small mouth. xx
Hello, Great recipe! I’m excited to try it! However I have liquid rennet, so just wondering how much I would need to use instead of tablets? Thank you!
I made this with raw milk I got direct from a farm and it worked out great. I don’t have a thermoserve so I just put the milk into a bowl at that step and it was fine. Really thrilled that I found this recipe.
I love this recipe! I wasn’t sure if it had set properly or not as it was still very wobbly. But, I persisted and followed it exactly and everything has worked beautifully. I used one junket tablet crushed and dropped straight into the milk. Making the second lot now! Wondering what to do with all the left over liquid 🤔
Oh yay!!! And here’s some ideas for using the leftover whey: https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/general/ways-to-use-whey/ 🙂
Has anyone made this with vegatable rennet? Did it work ? how much was used etc thank you 🙂
Yep! If you scroll down in the comments you can see that some people have tried it with success. You can pretty much just use 1:1. 🙂