Labneh Cheese

By garciamoss

Labneh is a bright, fresh, soft cheese originating from the Middle East. It’s tasty smeared on toasted ciabatta and topped with a fruity jam or chutney and crushed toasted walnuts – that’s just the start of it.

Ingredients

• 3 cups Greek yoghurt
• 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preparation

Step 1

a) Line a fine-meshed sieve with a double layer of muslin. In a small bowl, combine the yoghurt, lemon juice, and salt. Place the yoghurt mixture into the sieve and cover with more muslin. Set the sieve over a bowl to catch any drippings. Using a small plate and a large can, weigh down the yoghurt to press out the excess liquid. Refrigerate overnight.

b) Or for a thicker, cream-cheese like consistency, weigh down with a couple more plates and the can, then refrigerate for a full day.

If you’d like to infuse your cheese with lovely flavour, there’s a couple of ways to do it.

Pull the yoghurt out of the fridge and whisk it up with your favourite fresh or dried spices, herbs and salt and pepper. Serve in a bowl and finish with a nice flourish of olive oil. Serve with crudités and Grilled Garlic and Herb Flatbread.
Or, you can roll your cheese into small balls (when following the B method above), place in a jar one on top of the other and pour in a homemade flavoured oil (e.g. extra virgin olive oil, finely minced parsley and the zest of a lemon). Allow the cheese to marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours. Remember that olive oil becomes cloudy and solidifies when refrigerated, but don’t fear: just bring to room temp and you’re oil will be silky smooth and golden again in about 20 minutes time. The jarred cheese should be good for about 2 weeks in the fridge.