Labneh Food

GREEK YOGURT LABNEH

Steps:

• Line a large sieve with cheesecloth; set over a medium deep bowl. Place yogurt in sieve. Gather edges of cheesecloth to cover yogurt. Place in refrigerator and let drain for 2-3 days.
• Gently squeeze out any excess liquid; discard liquid in bowl (yogurt will be very thick and resemble soft goat cheese). Roll yogurt into 3/4" balls. Place in an 8-ounce glass jar.
• Whisk oil, herbs, and lemon zest in a small bowl to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over yogurt in jar. Cover; place in refrigerator and let marinate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 weeks.

LABNEH (LEBANESE YOGURT)

Steps:

• Mix Greek yogurt, olive oil, mint, dill, and kosher salt together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours.

LABNEH CHEESE

Steps:

• For the labneh: stir the salt into the yogurt, then transfer the mixture to a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth to shape the yogurt into a ball and give it a gentle squeeze. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth into a knot. Tie a few inches of twine to the cheesecloth and suspend it from a small rod or chopstick set over a tall container (make sure the cheesecloth pouch is a few inches above the bottom of the container).
• Place the entire container in the refrigerator to drain. For firm labneh cheese that can be shaped into balls, let sit overnight. (For creamy, softer labneh let it sit only 6 to 8 hours.)
• For the seed and herb coating: after the labneh has drained overnight, mix the sesame seeds, sumac, dried thyme, dried mint, nigella seeds and red pepper flakes together in a shallow dish.
• Oil your hands and shape the cheese into 2 tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball in the spice mixture to coat completely and place in a 32-ounce airtight container. Cover the cheese with 2 cups olive oil and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
• Serve with bread, green olives, pickled cucumber, mint leaves, zaatar and red tea.

LABNEH (LEBANESE CREAM CHEESE)

Steps:

• Line a large colander with a cheesecloth. Stir salt into the yogurt, and pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth. Set the colander in the sink or bowl to catch the liquid that drains off. Leave to drain for 24 hours.
• After draining for the 24 hours, transfer the resulting cheese to a bowl. Stir in the olive oil. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

LABNEH

Steps:

• 1. Line a large bowl with a piece of cheesecloth or other fine cloth. In another bowl, mix the yogurt and salt well. Transfer the yogurt to the cheesecloth, pick up the edges of the cloth, and tie them together well to form a bundle. hang this over your sink or over a large bowl and leave for 48 hours. By this time the yogurt will have lost most of its liquid and be ready to use as a spread.
• 2. To go the whole hog, leave it hanging for a day longer. Remove the cheese from the cloth and place in a sealed container in the fridge. Once it is thoroughly chilled, preferably after 24 hours hours, roll the cheese into balls, somewhere between the size of an olive and a walnut.
• 3. Take a sterilized jar about 2 1/2 cups / 600 ml in capacity. Pour some of the oil inside and gently lay the balls in the oil. Add some more oil and continue with the balls until all the cheese is in the jar and immersed in oil. Seal the jar and keep until needed.
• 4. Before serving, scatter the mint and pepper on a flat plate and roll the balls in it.