Air-Fryer Halloumi

Halloumi is the rare cheese that, when heated, gets better instead of melting into a sad puddle. The high salt content and the way it's brined gives it a structural integrity that lets you sear it, grill it, or — as it turns out — air-fry it without losing the shape. What you get is a slice with a deeply browned, almost crusty exterior and a slightly soft, squeaky interior. It is, on its own, dinner.

The pan-fried version is great but requires you to babysit the pan and turn each slice once. The air-fryer version requires nothing — five minutes in the basket, flip the slices once, done. The dry heat of the air fryer browns the surface more aggressively than a pan does, which means more crust and more crunch.

The photo shows the result: six slices fanned out on a small ceramic plate, each one with deep golden-brown grill marks on top, with visible flecks of salt and a heavy crack of black pepper. The plate is unfussy. The cheese is everything.

A note: this is a fast recipe and the cheese is the star. Don't overthink it. Serve with a chunk of bread, a tomato salad, a drizzle of honey, a squeeze of lemon. Or stuff into a pita with greens and hummus. Or pile onto a grain bowl. The cheese is the platform; the rest is up to you.