YOGHURT CHEESE
Yoghurt cheese, or labna, is mighty expensive to buy but simplicity itself to make. This soft cheese provides a base for a lot of dishes, sweet and savoury. It’s delicious served as a spread on bread, biscuits or blinis. With drained grated cucumber and a little garlic and cumin, it makes an instant raita. In a cheesecake it can be substituted for some or all of the specified amount of cream cheese.
It is delicious served with crisp strips of vegetable such as carrot, cucumber, capsicum or celery. I especially enjoy this spread on slices of smoked salmon, sprinkled with dill and then rolled up.
Makes approximately 400g
1 litre Greek-style yoghurt
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons olive oil
olive oil for storing, extra
Combine the yoghurt, lemon juice, salt and olive oil in a bowl and mix well.
Boil a 30cm (double thickness) piece of muslin for 3 minutes. Drain, allow to cool, then lay it out in a large colander sitting over a large bowl. Pour in the yoghurt mixture and tie the top of the muslin to form a bag. Hang the bag over the bowl and leave for 2 days in a cool place. If you live in a warm climate, or in summer in cooler climates, you may need to do this in the fridge.
Roll the resulting yoghurt cheese into walnut-sized balls and place in a sterilised 1 litre jar. Cover with olive oil, making sure there are no air pockets.
Seal and store in the fridge for 2–3 weeks.
Hints
• The oil may solidify around the labna balls, so remove the jar from the fridge an hour or so before serving to allow the oil to liquefy.
• Always be sure to keep the yoghurt cheese, even minute portions, covered by the oil. When you remove any of the labna balls, wipe clean any smears on the inside of the jar and make sure that the balls themselves are totally submerged in the oil.
• The whey that drips from the bag of labna is highly nutritious and should not be discarded. Use in breads, doughs, smoothies and similar drinks. It is also beneficial for the intestinal health of chickens, so include in their daily mash. Our cats and dogs love it too. Perhaps they are instinctively wise in knowing what is good for them.