Charred Broccoli and Halloumi Grain Bowl

Ingredients

• 200g freekeh
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 300g Tenderstem broccoli, trimmed
• 500g halloumi, sliced into 1cm planks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 250g cherry tomatoes, on the vine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tbsp tahini
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 4 tbsp cold water
• 40g toasted flaked almonds, to serve
• small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly torn, to serve
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
• extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle, to serve
• Warm flatbreads, to serve
• Cucumber and mint yoghurt, to serve
• Pickled red onions, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Scatter the cherry tomatoes onto a small baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle over the dried oregano and season generously with salt and pepper — the oregano needs to bloom in the hot oil to taste of itself rather than dust. Roast for 18–20 minutes until the skins are blistered and just beginning to burst.
2. Meanwhile, rinse the freekeh under cold water until it runs clear, then tip into a saucepan with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, drop to a gentle simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes until the grains are tender with a slight chew and the stock has been absorbed. Taste and season — freekeh drinks salt, so don't be shy.
3. While the freekeh cooks, make the lemon tahini. Whisk the tahini, lemon juice and grated garlic together in a small bowl — it will seize and look broken, that's normal. Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time, whisking, until it loosens into a smooth, pourable ribbon off the spoon. The raw garlic is sharp here, so use a single clove and grate it finely; any more and it bullies the lemon. Season with a good pinch of salt and set aside.
4. Place a griddle pan over a high heat and leave it for a full 2 minutes until smoking — a cool griddle steams the broccoli instead of charring it. Toss the Tenderstem in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season well.
5. Griddle the broccoli in a single layer, don't crowd the pan or you'll lose the char to steam. Cook for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until you see deep black bar marks and the stems give just slightly to the tip of a knife. Transfer to a plate.
6. Brush the halloumi planks with the remaining olive oil and griddle in batches for 2–3 minutes each side, pressing lightly so the surface meets the iron. You're looking for proper char lines and a softened, custardy interior — the squeak should be gone. Crowding the pan drops the heat and the cheese sweats into a rubbery slab, so give each plank room.
7. Divide the freekeh between four warm bowls. Arrange the charred broccoli, halloumi planks and blistered tomatoes over the top, tipping the tomato juices and oil straight from the tray into the grains — that's seasoning you've already paid for. Taste the freekeh one more time and adjust the salt now, not at the table.
8. Spoon the lemon tahini generously over each bowl, scatter the toasted flaked almonds and torn parsley across the top, and finish with a slick of extra virgin olive oil. Tuck a lemon wedge alongside for a final squeeze, with warm flatbreads, cucumber and mint yoghurt, and pickled red onions on the side.