Haloumi, mint and preserved lemon cigars

I love filo pastry. I use it to top, to wrap, to stuff and to roll, savoury or sweet. It's cheap, and you might be surprised to learn that it cooks very well on a hotplate. Enter barbecue. Need I say more.

Credit: Murdoch Books

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 6 filo pastry sheets, each measuring 44 x 28 cm (17½ x 11¼ inches)
• 200 g (7 oz) block haloumi cheese
• 2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 12 thin strips of preserved lemon rind
• sea salt, for sprinkling
• lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions

Lay the filo sheets on top of each other. Cut the stack in half lengthways, then cut across in half to give 24 smaller rectangles of pastry. Lay the rectangles on top of each other and cover with a damp cloth.

Cut the haloumi into 12 thin fingers. Combine the mint and olive oil in a bowl.

Lay two filo rectangles on top of each other and brush with some of the oil from the bowl. Put a piece of haloumi on the short end of the pastry, top with a strip of preserved lemon, then fold the sides of the filo over the haloumi and roll up into a cigar shape. Repeat to make 12 cigars.

Preheat the barbecue hotplate to medium.

Cook the cigars on the hotplate for 4-5 minutes, turning often, until the pastry is golden and charred. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and serve hot, with lemon wedges on the side.

Recipes and images from Fired Up Vegetarian by Ross Dobson, published by Murdoch Books rrp $34.99.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.