Homemade Labneh

This week I am daydreaming of aimlessly wondering through souks with what I can only imagine the type of scents filling the open air with the heady aromatic array of spices and fragrant rose. And of course wearing long flowy kaftans in the breathtaking beauty of the Middle East. Whilst I don’t have the opportunity to go and explore Morocco or Jerusalem just yet, I can recreate some recipes that I would envision myself there.

To my excitement, I was recently asked by Faircape Dairies to blog about a few of their products which I have chosen myself. I ended up choosing their gloriously velvety smooth Double Cream Yoghurt that is unsweetened to my delight, and their versatile Amasi(sour milk) which I used in a few recipes as buttermilk and worked out pretty great!

This first recipe is inspired and adapted from one of my food heroes, Yotam Ottolenghi. The Labneh I made is from the cookbook, NOPI. To complement the rich labneh, I made macerated strawberries in a pomegranate molasses and sumac syrup with a dash of freshly cracked black pepper this was just the edge the in-season sweet strawberries needed. I love how extra creamy and decadent the Faircape Double Cream Yoghurt made this labneh. The texture of the yoghurt is such a thick yet smooth consistency that I would happily swop out cream in savoury recipes for this delicious yoghurt. Last night, I made a little throw together with whatever was in the fridge and pantry, and ended up making an incredibly tasty lime chicken pasta dish with this yoghurt as the base for the sauce. My verdict: I love cream very much, but for those days where you need to watch your calorie intake, I will certainly add this double cream yoghurt as a great substitute.

Labneh is a thick spreadable cream cheese that is made with usually greek yoghurt, a little salt and lemon juice and left to sit in the fridge to drain off the whey for 24 hours to thicken and turn into labneh. Usually served with plenty of good quality Extra Virgin Olive oil and Za’atar. Like always, this time I’ve put my own twist on Labneh and how I serve it.

Homemade Labneh with macerated strawberries.

Ingredients: 

• 300g Faircape Double Cream Yoghurt
• 1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil,plus extra to drizzle at the end.
• 1/4 teaspoon of smoked sea salt flakes
• 1 punnet of fresh in season Strawberries or any other fruit that is in season
• 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• A pinch of freshly cracked black pepper

Method: 

To make the labneh, in a small bowl combine the double cream yoghurt and olive oil. Pour into a cheesecloth or light linen cloth, knot tightly and hang over a small jug. Make sure the cloth is not touching the bottom of the jug. Leave to sit for 24 hours or more depending on how thick you want your labneh(I left mine in for 48 hours) however If you want to shorten to the time, constantly go back and squeeze out the excess moisture. This will speed up the process. Transfer to a bowl or plate.

Slice the strawberries and add to a small saucepan,together with the sugar, water, pomegranate molasses, sumac and black pepper. Cook on a medium heat for 2-5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit is macerated. Serve by pouring the syrup and fruit over the labneh. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

 

**Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. My views on this brand’s product is written in full honesty and without bias. I was not financially compensated for this post but I was however sponsored only the products to produce recipes.**