Pescatarian meze platter
A colourful, shareable Mediterranean platter: hummus, tzatziki, grilled halloumi, lemon‑garlic prawns, smoked salmon and warmed pittas.
A buzzy, shareable meze that’s perfect for long summer lunches or a relaxed supper with friends. It brings together creamy hummus, cooling tzatziki, smoky prawns and salty halloumi — all pescatarian‑friendly and easy to assemble.
No one component is tricky, but the dish sings when each element is done properly: silky hummus, dry grated cucumber for tzatziki and just‑cooked prawns. Serve with warmed pittas and a jug of chilled white wine and you’re golden.
Ingredients
- 400 g tinned chickpeas
- 60 g tahini
- 3 lemons — juice and wedges
- 6 garlic cloves — peeled
- 120 ml olive oil
- 10 ml sea salt
- 5 ml ground black pepper
- 300 g natural yoghurt — Greek‑style or thick natural
- 1 cucumber — medium
- 10 g fresh dill — leaves, roughly chopped
- 400 g raw prawns, peeled and deveined
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 200 g smoked salmon — sliced
- 225 g halloumi
- 15 ml honey
- 15 ml sesame seeds
- 4 pitta breads
- 150 g mixed olives — ready marinated if possible
- 250 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 1 red onion — thinly sliced
- 15 g flat-leaf parsley — roughly chopped
Equipment
- food processor
- griddle pan or heavy-based frying pan
- box grater
- small serving bowls
Instructions
Make the hummus: drain the tinned chickpeas, reserving a little tin liquid. Put the chickpeas, tahini, juice of 1 lemon, 1 crushed garlic clove, 30 ml olive oil, 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper into a food processor. Blend until smooth, adding 1–2 tbsp of the reserved tin liquid or cold water to loosen if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Prepare tzatziki: grate the cucumber on a box grater, then press out excess moisture using kitchen paper. In a bowl combine natural yoghurt, grated cucumber, 1 crushed garlic clove, chopped fresh dill, 1 tbsp olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 tsp sea salt and a pinch of ground black pepper. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes to let the flavours meld.
Marinate the prawns: in a bowl mix 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves, juice of 1/2 lemon, smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp sea salt and a good grind of black pepper. Add the raw prawns, toss to coat, then leave to marinate for 15 minutes.
Cook the prawns: heat a frying pan over a high heat and add the marinated prawns in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes, turn and cook for a further 1–2 minutes until pink and just cooked through. Tip in most of the chopped flat-leaf parsley, toss, then remove from the pan.
Grill the halloumi: slice the halloumi into 6–8mm slices. Heat a dry griddle or frying pan until hot and char the halloumi 1½–2 minutes each side until golden. Transfer to a plate, drizzle with the honey and scatter over the sesame seeds.
Warm and char the pittas: brush the pitta breads lightly with olive oil and warm under a hot grill or in a hot frying pan for 1–2 minutes each side until puffed and slightly charred. Cut into wedges and keep warm wrapped in a clean tea towel.
Arrange the platter: spoon the hummus and chilled tzatziki into shallow bowls. Arrange smoked salmon, cooked prawns, grilled halloumi, mixed olives, halved cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion around them. Scatter over the remaining chopped flat-leaf parsley, drizzle a little olive oil and serve with lemon wedges and warm pitta wedges.
Tips
- Reserve a little tin liquid from the chickpeas — aquafaba smooths the hummus without extra oil.
- Squeeze grated cucumber firmly in kitchen paper or a muslin to avoid watery tzatziki.
- Cook prawns quickly on a very high heat; they’ll go rubbery if overcooked.
- Make the hummus and tzatziki a few hours ahead; keep chilled and bring the hummus to room temperature before serving.
- Leftovers store well: keep components separate in airtight containers for up to 48 hours; halloumi is best eaten same day.
Substitutions
raw prawns, peeled and deveined → cooked king prawns (add at end to warm briefly in the pan)
Stays closehalloumi → firm feta, grilled in slices
Noticeably differentpitta breads → gluten-free flatbreads
Noticeably differenttahini → extra olive oil (use 40 ml more) — hummus will be less sesame‑rich
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 1150
- Calories
- 66 g
- Protein
- 62 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1400 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make everything ahead?
Yes — hummus and tzatziki can be made a day ahead and kept chilled. Cooked prawns and halloumi are best same day; you can pre‑marinate prawns but cook just before serving.
How do I stop the tzatziki going watery?
Grate the cucumber, then press or squeeze it tightly in kitchen paper to remove liquid before mixing with the yoghurt.
Can I use frozen prawns?
Yes — thaw them fully in the fridge and pat dry before marinating so they take on the flavours and cook evenly.
Is there a vegetarian version?
Omit the smoked salmon and prawns and add grilled vegetables such as charred aubergine slices or roasted red peppers for substance.
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