Simple, yet full of flavor and wonderful contrasts. The grilled lemon dressing really brings things together in a way that a non-grilled lemon dressing will not.
INGREDIENTS:
2 heads Little Gem lettuce, quartered
8 ounces halloumi cheese, sliced ¼-inch or a little thicker
1 heaping ½ cup oil cured, Kalamata, Nyons, or Beldi olives
Olive oil as needed
2-3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Lemon (Meyer preferred), quartered lengthwise-optional
½ cup Grilled Lemon Dressing, or to taste (see recipe)
METHOD:
Put the halloumi slices into a non-reactive dish that will hold it all in a single layer. Drizzle with enough oil to coat, then season well with pepper and a bit of salt. Scatter with 1½-2 tablespoons oregano or as needed to cover well to season the cheese. Marinate 1-2 hours.
This will go quickly so have everything ready and nearby. Fire up the grill and get it to medium-high, as opposed to blazing or ripping hot.
Pour olive oil into your hand and rub the lettuce quarters with the oil, adding more as needed. Use your fingers to get into the leaves, but keep the quarters tight and compact. Season with salt and pepper.
Scrape the grill clean, and when it is hot, place the slices of cheese on the grill at a diagonal. Cook until the edges get a little soft and the cheese has good grill marks. This should around two minutes. Flip and grill the other side just until the cheese turns golden and is warm throughout. Transfer to a plate or dish (The marinating dish will work.)
If using, grill the lemon quarters until marked and obviously cooked, rather than just marked. About 1 minute of a little longer. Set aside.
Scrape the grill of any cheese residue if present. Place the lettuce cut sides down on the grill and cook until the lettuce takes on marks. A little charring is fine. Turn as necessary to grill the cut sides, leaving the outside of the lettuce head un-grilled. This should all take 4-5 minutes. If you are good at multi-tasking, starting the lettuce and then adding the cheese to the grill is the way to go. Everything is hot that way and textures are absolutely perfect.
Place the lettuce on a platter. Lay on the slices of cheese, drizzle all over and around with just enough dressing to moisten the salad. Scatter with the olives and place the grilled lemon quarters around the platter. Season with flaky salt and pepper and scatter with a bit of the chopped oregano, and serve.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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