Hasselback Halloumi Traybake Food

HALLOUMI TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put the potatoes in a large roasting tin with the onion. Pour over 2 tbsp olive oil and roast in the oven for about 30 mins.
• Add the chickpeas, pepper, romanesco, tomatoes and garlic. Drizzle with 2 tbsp oil, then roast for a further 20-25 mins until everything is cooked and browning nicely. Toss together briefly and put the halloumi slices on top. Put it under the grill for 5-10 mins, or until the cheese is melting and browning (keep an eye on it). Scatter over the basil leaves to serve.

HASSELBACKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
• The fun and unique part of this side dish is that you need to slice multiple times through the potatoes, but - importantly - without going all the way through, giving you a kind of concertina-style potato. This looks beautiful but also makes them wonderfully absorbent of flavour and amplifies their crispiness. Try to choose small potatoes, give them a wash, and if you have any larger ones, cut them in half and use the flat side as a base.
• To make this process as simple as possible, place a potato on a board between the handles of two wooden spoons, so that when you slice down into the potato the spoons stop the blade from going all the way through.
• Carefully slice at just under ½cm intervals all the way along. Repeat with all the potatoes, placing them in a large roasting tray as you go.
• Pick half the thyme leaves into a pestle and mortar and pound with the turkey dripping or oil. Spoon over the potatoes, making sure the fat gets down into the cuts you've made, then season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Roast for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are golden and tender.
• Meanwhile, tear the bread into a baking dish, add the hazelnuts and toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool, then tip into a food processor, strip in most of the remaining thyme leaves, add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and half the cheese, and pulse into coarse crumbs.
• When the hour is up, sprinkle the crumbs over the potatoes, then finely crumble a little bit of the remaining blue cheese on to each one.
• Dress the rest of the thyme sprigs with a tiny bit of oil and sprinkle randomly on top. Return to the oven for a final 10 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt, then serve.

HASSELBACK POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. With a sharp knife, make vertical slits in potatoes, 1/8- to 1/4-inch apart, being sure to stop at least 1⁄4 inch before bottom (do not cut all the way through).
• Gently toss potatoes with oil and ½ teaspoon each flaky sea salt and pepper. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet, cut sides up. Roast until tender, golden brown, and crisp, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine butter and scallions. Dollop each potato with scallion butter.

ROASTED VEG, CHICKPEA & HASSELBACK HALLOUMI TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the peppers, courgettes and red onion wedges together in a roasting tin along with the rapeseed oil, and roast for 15 mins. Tip in the cherry tomatoes, ras el hanout, oregano, harissa, preserved lemon and chickpeas, and toss to combine. Cut deep slits into the top of the halloumi, about halfway down, in a criss-cross pattern. Nestle the halloumi among the veg in the tin and roast for a further 15-20 mins until the cheese is lightly golden and the veg is tender.
• Scatter over the parsley, then drizzle over some yogurt just before serving.