Step 1

Put a little water in the bottom pot of the double boiler and heat it. Pour the milk into the top of the double boiler and let it sit over the water. Stir occasionally and bringing the temperature up to 32°C (89.6°F).

Step 2

As the milk is coming up to temperature, put the 1.0 ml (0.03 fluid ounce )of liquid rennet into 30 ml (1.01 fluid ounce) of distilled water.

Step 3

When the milk reaches 32°C, you can start stirring the milk. Ddd the combined rennet and water into the milk. Stir it thoroughly to distribute the rennet. Do not stir hard and only stir for one minute.

Step 4

Turn the heat off and put the lid on the saucepan and leave to rest for 40 minutes. Do not stir the milk during this period at all. Once the 40 minutes is over, the milk should have set into curds. You can put a ladle or knife into it gently and raise it up to see if this has worked.

Step 5

If the curd has set, cut it into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes. Use a sharp knife, to cut up and down, left to right and then diagonally under the surface of the curd.

Step 6

Cover and rest for five minutes. Stir the curds gently and bring the heat back up to 40°C (104°F). This will take around 20 minutes.

Step 7

The curds will start to shrink. At around the 20-minute mark, leave it to rest with the lid on for about 10 minutes. The curds should sink to the bottom.

Step 8

Line a colander with muslin and place it over the top of another bowl to capture and retain the whey. Empty the curds and whey into the colander.

Step 9

Let it sit for several minutes to drain then pull the muslin out of the colander.

Step 10

Once the whey has drained off the curds, the cheese will start to look more solid and will come together almost like a ball, as opposed to all the small squishy curds.

Step 11

Place the muslin with curds onto a board, lightly shape, then flatten and wrap it up again in the muslin. Put another heavy board on top of the wrapped curd and then place the weights on top, ensuring that the cheese underneath is kept flat at all times. For this amount of cheese, use about a 2kg (4.4lb) weight.

Step 12

Press it for 10 minutes and then take the board off and turn the curd over. Repeat this process and leave for another 20 minutes.

Step 13

Remove the muslin and cut the cheese. We cut it in half or thirds. Place the cheese on top of a baking tray.

Step 14

Put the retained whey back in the pot and heat the whey up to 90°C (194°F). Any remaining curd will rise to the surface. If it does, skim it all off and discard it.

Step 15

This is a very important step. Put the cheese back into the hot whey. Even though it sounds weird to put the halloumi back into the whey, this is the process that gives the cheese its heat-resistant properties, so that when it is cooked before eating, it doesn't melt.

Step 16

Remove from whey and drain on a wire rack.

Step 17

Mix together the salt and mint leaves (fresh or dried) and roll the halloumi in this mix on all sides. Fold in half (on top of itself) and press down.

Step 18

Store in brine or vacuum seal and keep in the fridge. It will keep fresh for many weeks in brine.

Step 19

This recipe produced approximately 250g of halloumi. Making a small amount also means that the halloumi is much thinner than you are probably used to seeing. Once it is folded in half it forms a good thickness.