Thyme & Sesame Labneh with Pitta

📝 Ingredients

• 500 g Greek yoghurt
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 lemon (zest + 1 tbsp juice)
• 2 pitta breads (about 60 g each)
• 1 cucumber (about 300 g)
• Black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Colander
• Clean, thin tea towel
• Mixing bowl
• Small frying pan
• Fine grater

📖 Steps

1. The day before, mix the Greek yoghurt with the salt in a bowl. Set a colander over a large bowl, leaving at least 3 cm between its base and the bottom of the bowl, and line it with a clean, thin tea towel, dampened and then well wrung out.
2. Pour the yoghurt into the tea towel, fold the edges over the top and put it all in the fridge for 12 to 24 h. The longer it drains, the firmer the labneh; halfway through, empty out the whey collected in the bowl.
3. The next day, unwrap the labneh: it should have the texture of a thick cream cheese and have lost about a third of its weight. Discard the remaining whey or use it in a smoothie.
4. Toast the sesame seeds in the small frying pan, dry and over a medium heat, for 2 to 3 min, stirring, until lightly golden and fragrant. Tip them straight onto a plate, otherwise they will keep browning.
5. Spread the labneh in a shallow bowl with the back of a spoon, making hollows. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with the thyme, toasted sesame, lemon zest and a grind of pepper.
6. Cut the cucumber into sticks and drizzle with the lemon juice. Cut each pitta into 8 triangles and toast them dry in the frying pan over a medium heat, in two batches of 2 to 3 min, until the edges are crisp.
7. Serve the labneh well chilled with the still-warm pitta triangles and the cucumber sticks, for dipping straight into the cheese.