Grilled halloumi is something that I've heard others rave about yet somehow I'd never tried myself. When wandering around Lidl at the weekend I spied a block of halloumi and made an impulse purchase, vowing to give it a try to see what all the fuss is about. This dish is more of a cobbled together plateful of things that needed using up rather than a specially planned one but that is sometimes how you discover new combinations of things that get along together. I present:

Grilled halloumi with black pudding, fresh beetroot, stir fried red pepper and spring onions with noodles

The halloumi was grilled upon the good old (new) Tefal Optigrill, hence the rather beautiful lines (I did fear that it would melt into a puddle but thankfully not). I foolishly took two rings of black pudding, cubed and heated steadily in a small frying pan. I only needed one ring as it went far further than anticipated!

What does black pudding taste like? Well, I'd describe it as the texture of dense bread with the favour of tasty sausage. Since trying it at The Crown I've wanted to use it at home so I bought some at the butchers but hadn't got round to making use of it, oh it's so good.

The beetroot worked a treat with both the halloumi and black pudding so I would happily use these three together again. The red pepper, spring onions and noodles were pleasant enough but could have easily been replaced by salad leaves instead for a lighter dish.

How do you like to enjoy grilled halloumi? (Or is it not for you?)

Sophie