Nigel Slater’s recipe for halloumi, tomatoes and basil

The recipe

Cut 350g of tomatoes in half and put them in a roasting tin. Season with salt, pepper, several sprigs of thyme and a crushed clove of garlic. Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6.

Peel 4 medium-sized banana shallots or small onions, then cut each in half and then into thick segments. Add them to the tomatoes. Pour 3 tbsp of olive oil over the tomatoes and shallots, then bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Cut a 250g lump of halloumi into 2 thick slices. Remove the roasting tin from the oven, then tuck the halloumi among the tomatoes and shallots. Return to the oven for 15 minutes. Shred 10 large basil leaves into small pieces, then tuck them into the tomatoes while the roasting tin is out of the oven – the warmth will release the fragrance from the basil – and serve. Serves 2

Feta is an accessible alternative for halloumi. Go easy on the salt when you’re seasoning it to start.

This is one of those recipes I like to pile on to hot toast (especially when made from ciabatta), spooning over the juices from the roasting tin as I go.

You could introduce a few slices of courgette. Tuck them in among the tomatoes before the dish goes in the oven.

The shallot segments need to be truly soft and starting to caramelise at the edges. If you can’t find any of the large torpedo-shaped banana shallots, then use small onions instead. The crucial point is for them to be soft, tender and sweet, so check their progress regularly.

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