Recipe Scene: Labneh

Labneh is the best.  Once you’ve made you will make it all the time.  Guaranteed.  It is so ridiculously simple and yet so delicious.  All it is is drained yoghurt, but somehow in the draining process it develops a taste similar to goats cheese.  But you can make ½ a kilogram for about $6, which is significantly cheaper than goats cheese.

I like to roll the labneh into balls and keep them in an oil dressing, but if I’m in a rush I just put it in a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil and dukkah.   I’ve tried it with all different brands of Greek yoghurt – the flavours and texture at the end do differ a bit, so do experiment til you find the one you like best.   I’ve never gone down the path of sweet labneh, but I’m sure it’s also delicious.  Labneh is supposed to be drained through muslin, but who knows where to buy such things these days.  I use a new kitchen cloth/chux folded in half.

Ingredients

I kg Greek yoghurt
1 teaspoon salt

Oil dressing

Equal parts olive oil and vegetable oil
Crushed garlic
Dried herbs

Method

1. Add the salt to the yoghurt (I do this in the yoghurt container to save washing up) and mix well.
2. Line a sieve with a new, dry kitchen cloth/Chux. Spoon the yoghurt into the cloth and fold the cloth over so the yoghurt is covered.  Place the sieve over a bowl to catch the whey that will drain off, and place a saucer over the top of the yoghurt to keep the moisture in.
3. Place in the fridge and pour the whey off every few hours. At first quite a bit of liquid will come out, then this will slow.
4. Do this for about 2 days. Remove form the fridge and either roll into balls and place in the oil dressing, or place in a serving bowl and top with oil and dukkah.
5. Use the labneh as a pre dinner nibble, serve it with meat or chicken, add pieces to salads, spread on toast for breakfast and top with a poached egg, whatever you like.