Yogurt adds a cool note to summer eating, as a herby highlight to chicken, or a lighter raspberry fool to end the day. Plus, how to make your own labneh
If there is a theme running through this summer’s cooking it is that of yogurt and its strained and lightly salted cousin labneh. At breakfast, I prefer the wake-up-call sharpness of sheep’s milk yoghurt, often with a glowing puree of alphonso mango and a lightly sweetened compote of blueberries or blackcurrants. Used as replacement for some of the cream in a fruit fool, the refreshingly acidic notes of goat’s milk yogurt flatters the flavours of apricots, strawberries and raspberries, as well as making the dessert less rich. Homemade labneh, made with thick yogurt left to strain overnight through a muslin, has been in my fridge all summer long. I use it as it comes, or with basil and mint threaded through and maybe a little black pepper. Cold for the fridge it accompanies lamb and chicken from the grill, and last week I used it to stuff aubergines with shredded cucumber and garlic. The blander, sweeter cow’s milk variety can be used for this.
Homemade labneh, made with thick yogurt left to strain overnight through a muslin, has been in my fridge all summer long
Fold the yogurt and half the raspberry puree partially into the cream, leaving ribbons of yogurt and scarlet fruit sauce
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