Everyone loves a quick, easy, tasty and guilt-free snack. Sometimes, you want a snack that's a little bit more naughty. Well, this article gives you both.
The base of this is labneh. A strained yoghurt, thicker and more tangy than Greek yoghurt; somewhere between cream cheese and a dip. It's great on its own with good bread, but with the addition of some toppings, it becomes the base for a snack that honestly doesn't get old.
For us, one of those additions needs to be Shatta. The more classic version, using our Bird's Eye Shatta, is great for everyday, and hits the mark for a clean and healthy snack. The Shatta Jam however, slightly less classic, is perhaps a little bit more naughty, but just damn good.
Making your own labneh
Let's start with the base here though: the labneh.
In the Palestinian kitchen (and wider Levant), there is always labneh in the house. It's another staple of Middle Eastern cuisine, and it feels like the world is only just catching on.
Stir 1 tsp of fine salt into 500g of Greek yoghurt (full fat or zero fat both work!). Once mixed, line a sieve with a clean muslin or a new J-cloth, set it over a bowl, tip the yoghurt in and fold the cloth over the top. Twist the cloth to create tension and to force out the liquid.
Traditionally, this cloth of labneh would hang, allowing gravity to do the job of straining more and more liquid. At home, perhaps not so easy. Instead, add a weight to apply continuous pressure. Leave straining in the fridge for 24-72 hours depending on how dry you want your labneh.
You will be left with roughly 250-300g of labneh and a bowl of whey (which is worth keeping for bread or pancakes). Store your labneh in an airtight container and store in the fridge.
Bonus tip: If your labneh has dried out sufficiently and is quite chalky, you can store it another way.
If you have been to an Arabic green grocer's you may have seen the white labneh balls floating in oil. This is the old pre-fridge preservation method, which is still used today.
Why do we do this? Flavour. In the oil, the labneh continues to ferment. It develops a more complex flavour and you start to get more pro-biotics and the sort of bacteria that is great for gut health.
To store it this way, add some oil to your hands, pick up a small amount of the labneh and roll it into balls between your palms. Then, move to a glass jar. With each layer or two of labneh balls, add some oil. This reduces the weight on the balls further to the bottom, so you don't end up with flattened balls at the bottom. Once filled and then topped with oil, it can be stored in your cupboard for up to a month. Just remember to not leave any of the labneh exposed to air!
Now, the toppings.
The traditional plate: Bird's Eye and extra virgin olive oil
Spread labneh across a shallow bowl, spoon Bird's Eye Shatta into a few grooves, pour good extra virgin olive oil over the top and leave it there. This is the version for when the labneh needs to do the talking and you want the heat straightforward.
If you wanted to add a garnish, some toasted sesame seeds here are amazing. They add a subtle nuttiness and savouriness that just works incredibly well. Alternatively, some sesame bread or a sesame bagel is the vessel that does two jobs here. Delicious.
The contemporary plate: Shatta Jam, dressed light
Same base, different mood. Spoon Shatta Jam into the grooves and leave it as it is. The sweetness against the sourness of the labneh is enough on its own. If you want something to cut through it, scatter over some good za'atar or a small handful of chopped parsley work brilliantly here.
If you want to lean more into the za'atar and Shatta Jam mix here, we made a recipe where we combined both. It's a must try! You can watch here. We added fried halloumi, but labneh works just as well.
Other toppings and aromatics
We talked about za'atar, but sumac can also work very well for added tartness - read here for our guide on the differences between za'atar and sumac, as well as Arabic baharat.
If you wanted something completely untraditional, a chilli crisp can work great. You get the heat and richness as well as other aromatics that pair deliciously with the cool, creamy labneh. For a quick, easy guide to how to spot the difference between a chilli oil, chilli paste and hot sauce, we have got you covered. Read our guide here.
Lots of variations, all starting from great labneh. If you wanted to try one today, our Shatta Jam just won 2 Stars at this year's Great Taste Awards.
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