SNAP PEA AND STRAWBERRY FATTOUSH WITH SEARED HALLOUMI

The second recipe in our Griddle series by Lauren Chandler is a Snap Pea and Strawberry Fattoush with Seared Halloumi. Fattoush is a Lebanese salad – perfect for your summertime patio dinners.

Ingredients

1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch radishes, sliced into thin coins, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
3 10-inch pita
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¼ cup za’atar
¾ cup shelled pistachio nuts
1 pint strawberries, halved (or quartered if large)
1 pint snap peas, ends trimmed, sliced in half lengthwise
2 heads little gem lettuce (or 1 head of romaine), shredded
1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped or left whole
1 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
8 ounces halloumi cheese, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices, then sliced in half
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon sumac
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thinly slice the onion and the radishes, place in a bowl of ice water and set aside.
Pull the pita apart into halves (if the halves aren’t stuck together) and slice into long ribbons that are ¾ – 1-inch wide. Place in a large bowl and toss to coat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the za’atar, and a generous pinch of both salt and pepper. Lay out the pita on a FINEX Griddle and toast in the oven until the pieces are light brown and crisp, around 10-15 minutes, stirring a few times for even cooking. Transfer to a plate or tray and set aside.
Spread the pistachios out in an even layer on the griddle and place it back in the oven. Toast the nuts for 6-8 minutes or until they have browned, stirring the nuts or shaking the pan a few times to prevent burning. Transfer them to the center of a clean dish towel to cool and place the griddle over two burners. Bring the corners of the dishtowel together up around the pistachios to create a bundle. Hold the top of the bundle closed and rub the pistachios against each other to remove the papery skins.
Roughly chop the nuts. Reserve half of the nuts for garnish, and transfer the other half into the large bowl that the pita was in. Drain the onions and radishes and pat them dry with a clean dish towel, then add them to the bowl along with the radish leaves, strawberries, snap peas, lettuces, and herbs. Set aside.
Place a paper towel-lined plate next to the stove, being careful that it’s not too close. Turn on the burners under the griddle to medium-high. Once hot, about a minute, cook the halloumi until it is golden brown in spots, 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side for 3-4 more minutes until golden brown in spots, reducing the heat as needed if the cheese is browning too fast. Transfer to the plate.
To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, sumac, honey, and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil.
Season the salad with salt and pepper and toss with the dressing to combine. Gently fold in half of the pita and half of the halloumi and transfer to a serving platter or bowl. Garnish with remaining halloumi, pita, and pistachios and serve immediately.