Strained Yogurt and Labneh

We’ve been making our own yogurt for a while now, and while most of the time we eat it as it comes, there’s plenty more you can do to make it something a little bit different.

A few years ago, in our pre-Sidney days, we travelled to Jordan and Israel. It was an incredible holiday and we saw so many extraordinary places. One of the things we remember most fondly is the food, particularly the hummus, falafel and labneh that we treated ourselves to daily.

I’m a big fan of eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern breakfasts; give me a plate of labneh or goats’ cheese, salty olives, a boiled egg and a flatbread and I’m a happy lady. In Jordan, in particular, the labneh was creamy, smooth, and there they sprinkle it with za’atar – a genius spice mix with wild thyme, marjoram, oregano, sesame seeds, salt, and sometimes sumac, that they also serve in little paper wraps with loaves of soft bread in Jerusalem – and drizzle it with olive oil to make the perfect dip for flatbread.

You can buy labneh here from specialist shops, but it’s actually very easy to make with runny yogurt (even better if it’s homemade). You simply season the yogurt with a little salt – start with ¼–½ teaspoon for 500g yogurt and adjust up or down to your taste the next time around – and then strain it through a cloth for several hours to drain away the whey (I use one of Sidney's old muslins). You’re left with a thick yogurt that looks just like cream cheese – a light straining will give you a smooth yogurt perfect for dipping, a longer strain results in a firmer yogurt that can be spread on bread or rolled into balls and stored in oil to use later in salads, tagines or just slathered on toast. It’s exactly the same principle for Greek yogurt, but you don’t need to strain it for quite as long, or salt it.

For labneh balls, you can season your oil with all sorts of delicious things. Traditionally it’s just plain olive oil, which gives you the option of adding flavourings later, depending on what you're making. This is quite handy for fussy young eaters because they won’t be put off by anything unusual. You can, of course, leave out the salt if you prefer.

For flavourings try bay leaves, peppercorns and herbs such as oregano or rosemary. You can add a couple of peeled garlic cloves and lemon slices or chopped chilli. To this pot I added lemon balm and rosemary from the garden, with a few peppercorns and flakes of dried oregano. As the balls are quite delicate it helps to pour in the oil gradually, covering each layer before adding the next. Simply leave the jar in the fridge for a couple of days to let the flavours take hold, then spoon out your labneh balls whenever you need them.

Another option is to serve them as canapés. Roll them in sesame seeds, crushed pink peppercorns or chopped herbs and they won’t make too much of a mess. You can also flavour them with harissa for a spicier version, or honey for something sweet. Replace the salt with a little sugar and/or fruit purée and you can make sweet versions that can be rolled in chopped nuts or grated dark chocolate.

And don’t forget to use the whey strained from the yogurt. You’ll be amazed how much you’re left with and it’s magical, protein-rich stuff. I use it to replace the water for pancakes or bread; it makes them lighter and fluffier and that much better for you. Or I add it to stocks and soups, or to Sidney’s meals if they need a little thinning out, for the added flavour and protein. Remember there’s salt in the whey if you’ve made labneh. You can also freeze it.

Smooth Labneh will keep in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks. Here I've seasoned ours with za'atar and drizzled it with olive oil. Labneh balls in properly sterilised jars should last at least 6 months and up to a year. It might seem like too much effort to make yogurt or labneh into balls, but it really is worth it. It doesn't take much time and you'll have a pot of delicious soft cheese to dip into whenever you need an additional creamy element for a pasta dish, something simple to spread on pancakes, or a cooling counter to a hot curry.