The sharp freshness of the white cabbage, the sweetness of the dates and the pop of the chilli and spices work well with fried haloumi.
¼ white cabbage, tightly packed
salt flakes
freshly ground pepper
2 tsp caraway seeds, coarsely crushed in a mortar and pestle
2 lemons, 1 juiced, 1 peeled and segmented
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped, seeds in, to taste
6 dates, pitted, chopped roughly in large chunks
extra virgin olive oil
5 sprigs coriander, picked
5 sprigs mint, picked
2½ cups vegetable oil
250g haloumi
flour for dusting
½ pomegranate, seeds only
1. Remove and discard the core from the cabbage. Finely shave the leaves with a sharp knife or on a mandolin.
2. Place the cabbage in a bowl and season with a little salt and black pepper. Add the freshly crushed caraway seeds and lemon juice and toss. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, add the lemon segments, chillies, dates, and a good splash of olive oil. Toss together. Tear in the herbs and combine.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a shallow pan for five minutes.
5. While the oil is heating, slice the haloumi into 1cm-thick fingers lengthways. Toss in the flour then fry in the hot oil for two minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towel.
6. Pile the cabbage on a serving plate, top with the fried haloumi, scatter over the date salad and the pomegranate seeds and serve.
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