Recipe: Ottolenghi-style labneh balls
Yotam Ottlogenhi is one of the most successful bestselling authors of the past decade. Two of his trusted cooking buddies from team Ottolenghi, Sami and Tara, have written their own cookbook: Falastin. An absolute must for every Yotam fan, because this book too is packed with mouthwatering and colourful recipes from the Middle Eastern cuisine. Such as this popular dish, labneh.
Labneh is an Arab cheese made from yoghurt, which has lost virtually all its moisture by being strained: the longer the yoghurt is left to drain, the drier and firmer it becomes. Labneh is one of those products whose preparation may seem rather excessive until you actually try it and realise how simple it is. Hanging out the laundry takes considerably more time than straining yoghurt. You can eat the labneh as it is, cook with it or, for example, spread it on toast and drizzle it with oil and za’atar. Or, as in this recipe: turn it into balls, as a snack before the meal.
Variations
You can make labneh with different coatings and combinations: for a larger number of mezze, it works very well to use a number of different colours and flavours. Sami and Tara give instructions here for a combination of chilli flakes and za’atar, but all kinds of other coatings are also very suitable. Think, for example, of nigella seeds, sesame seeds, other chilli flakes (smoky Urfa or sweet Aleppo chilli flakes look beautiful), sumac, chopped pistachios, for example, or a combination of chopped garlic, chopped walnuts and very finely sliced red chilli pepper. Vary the size of the balls too: larger balls are delicious as a snack or as part of a selection of mezze; smaller balls are ideal as a bite with a drink.
How to make the labneh balls
- Line a deep mixing bowl with a piece of cheesecloth or muslin and set aside.
- In another deep bowl, mix the yoghurt with 1 teaspoon of salt. Pour the yoghurt into the cheesecloth-lined bowl, bring the corners of the cloth together and tie them so that a pouch forms. Secure the corners firmly with kitchen twine. Hang the pouch above the bowl (or tie it to the handle of a large jug, so that it hangs freely above the bowl and the liquid can drain into it). Place the whole thing in the fridge for 24–36 hours, until most of the liquid has drained away and the yoghurt is thick and fairly dry.
- You can also place the pouch in a sieve set over a bowl, weighted with a weight such as a plate or a few tins: this will make the draining go faster.
- Spoon the labneh into an airtight sterilised jar or container: pour over enough oil to cover and seal the labneh.
- Then scoop a small portion of labneh (20 grams) into the palm of your lightly oiled hand. Shape it into a ball approximately 3 cm in diameter and place it on a baking tray lined with damp cheesecloth. Roll balls from all the labneh in this way. Place the baking tray in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) to firm up.
- Fill a jar (large enough for all the labneh balls: approximately 10 cm in diameter and 12 cm high) or an airtight food storage container halfway with olive oil and let the balls fall into it. Cover them with more olive oil if necessary – the balls must be completely covered with oil – and add the thyme and oregano. Close the jar or container and place it in the fridge.
- When you are going to coat the balls – you can do this a day before serving – take the jar out of the fridge and let the contents come to room temperature, so that the oil becomes liquid again. Remove the balls from the oil and roll them in chilli flakes or za’atar: an easy way to do this is to sprinkle the ingredients for the chosen coating onto a plate. Place a few balls at a time on it and shake the plate: the balls will be coated in a few seconds; place them on a plate (but not in the oil) in the fridge. Let them come to room temperature before serving: you would rather not eat them straight from the fridge.
Storage tip: You can keep the balls in the fridge for up to 2 months. The oil will solidify in the fridge; let the balls come to room temperature before removing them from the jar or container and rolling them in chilli flakes. Keep the oil: you can use it to store another batch of labneh balls.
Title: Falastin
Authors: Sami Tamimi & Tara Wigley
With a foreword by Yotam Ottlolenghi
Publisher: Fontaine Uitgevers
Price: € 29.95
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