Festive Finger Food - Za'atar Halloumi Fries

Chop the tomatoes finely

Trim, then slice the spring onion[s]

Cut the red chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop roughly

Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic 

Chop the coriander roughly, including stalks

Strip the mint leaves from their stems and chop them roughly

Chop all the vegetables and herbs together (Don't use all the chilli if you can't handle the heat!) on the board or until a fine mixture remains

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add 1 tbsp [2 tbsp] olive oil with the chilli jam and season generously with salt and pepper and give everything a good mix up – this is your tomato-chilli salsa

Slice the halloumi widthways into 6 [12] equal-sized strips 

Then slice each strip in half so you are left with 12 [24] equally shaped halloumi strips 

Add the sesame seeds, ground cumin, dried thyme, sumac and dried oregano to a pestle & mortar with a pinch of salt 

Grind into a coarse powder – this is your za'atar

Combine the cornflour and za'atar on a plate

Add the halloumi strips and roll until fully coated in the flour

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a very generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once very hot, add the halloumi strips and cook for 2-3 min on each side or until golden and crispy (you may have to do this in batches)

Once golden, place on a kitchen towel to drain off any excess oil – these are your za'atar halloumi fries