Maria Koutsogiannis is CEO and creator of FoodByMaria, a community of nearly four million followers who enjoy Greek and Mediterranean recipes. She grew up working in her parents’ Greek diner and traveling to Greece every summer. She lives in New York City and Calgary, Alberta, with her husband and two dogs. The chapter on main dishes in my cookbook, “Greek Out,” starts with an explanation of what “main dish” means to me. Most people, understandably, immediately think of dinner. Because in many places that’s the biggest meal of the day, and it’s usually meat plus starch plus vegetable. But the way I grew up thinking about meals, a main dish is more of a feeling than a set formula, and it’s definitely not just about dinner. First of all, when I was growing up, the biggest meal of the day was usually lunch. For this main dish, the idea is simple: Rub the halibut with sumac and cinnamon and a little drizzle of olive oil, grill until caramelized and charred, then hit it with some honey. Chewy, creamy, cheesy, sweet, salty — they’re all in attendance in one fun handheld barbecue dish. Halloumi isn’t as Greek as graviera as far as firm, salty cheeses go, but it holds its shape so nicely and goes toe to toe with the tender, juicy halibut. Halibut and Halloumi Skewers with Dates and Figs Serves four as a main or 10 as an appetizer Ingredients 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from 1 to 2 lemons) 1 1/2 teaspoons ground sumac 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 pound skinless wild halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 cups 1-inch chunks sourdough bread 10 fresh figs, halved 9 ounces halloumi, cut into 1-inch cubes 10 Medjool dates, pitted Hot honey or regular honey, for serving Fresh mint leaves, for serving Store-bought toum (garlic spread), for serving (optional) Directions Prep the halibut: If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon zest, sumac, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Use paper towels to pat the halibut cubes dry, then transfer to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the seasoning mixture and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and gently toss to coat the fish. Assemble the skewers: In a second medium bowl, combine the bread, figs and halloumi with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat. Thread each skewer with a piece of bread, halloumi, halibut and fig, plus a date. Repeat until you’ve run out of ingredients and have made 10 skewers. Grill: Heat the grill to medium heat — about 400 F or 200 C — and brush or spray with olive oil. Add the skewers and grill until char marks form on the first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and repeat on the remaining three sides, until the halibut is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 8 to 12 minutes total. Serve: Transfer the skewers to a plate or platter, hit ’em with a drizzle of honey and lemon and a sprinkle of mint, then serve with toum, if desired. ___ Excerpted from “Greek Out” by Maria Koutsogiannis. Copyright (copyright) 2026 by Maria Koutsogiannis. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved. Maria Koutsogiannis, The Associated Press
