Hi Brett
Halloumi is an excellent cooking cheese and we enjoy it in every way possible, usually, here in South Africa, it is served in restaurants as a starter. I haven't gotten around to trying different ways of preparing it, as I have a student and a teenager at home and it doesn’t last long enough.
I usually fry it in a pan with a little butter until golden brown, then flip it over onto the other side until done!
1. I use fresh mint that I dry in the microwave for a couple of minutes. I then crush it until it is fine and apply it to both sides of the Halloumi with a shaker during the salting process.
2. I don’t knead the curds at all. After the curds are cooked I transfer them directly into the form and press them for about 45 minutes. Only after this process do I cut the cheese into rectangles. (approx 180 x 100 x14 mm)
3. I have never used the liquid CaCl, I have been using powdered CaCl so I wouldn’t be able to comment. I mix the correct amount of CaCl with sterilised water and add this to the milk just before I add cultures or rennet.
4. I don’t use a pH meter as it isn’t necessary for this cheese. I make sure that I stick to the 45 degrees in 20 minutes not stirring too vigorously and until now I have been fine. (Curd shouldn’t matt either)
The video looks fine, I suppose you will find slight variations. I, for instance don’t fold the cheese over. I will be making Halloumi during the coming week and I will post a couple of pictures.
Regards
Johan