Latest news with #labneh
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Which dips are OK to buy, and which should I make?
Dips are a great unifier, whether they're married to a big bowl of crisps and crudites or served as a companion for a picnic spread. If there's hummus, cacik or borani in the picture, then it's a party. Happily, says David Carter, founder of Smokestak, Manteca and Oma in London, 'you can get a lot of good stuff in stores these days'. That said, he adds, anything involving vegetables is 'always going to be best when made fresh'. If your dip needs lead you to the shops, the trick is to create contrast. Much like getting dressed, you first need to consider the temperature. 'Let's say you have some shop-bought hummus,' Carter says. 'If you put that in a pan with a bit of hot water and maybe some lemon juice, then whisk, the hummus will loosen, turn creamy and completely change from the usual fridge-cold stodge.' Next, you've then got to accessorise your tub, which means toppings: 'A lot of our dips in the restaurants have some form of texture, whether that's crisp garlic, seeds or crisps,' he says. 'If you've got something like a silky-smooth labneh and think, how am I going to jazz this up, spiced chickpeas would be one answer.' Similarly, Carter tops his baba ganoush with a 'very hot' tahini sauce and some crisp artichokes: 'That's contrast exaggerated.' Sami Tamimi, author of Boustany (out in June), meanwhile, is not a fan of dips that take a lot of time, which is why you'll always find yoghurt or labneh in his fridge ('I don't make my own any more'). They're an easy win, and can be quickly turned into a dip with the addition of a squeeze of lemon, some garlic and whatever spices or herbs (fresh or dried) you have to hand: 'If you're doing a barbecue – especially if there's a fatty piece of fish or meat involved – mix yoghurt with tahini, and add a little sun-dried tomato, some garlic, herbs and a lot of lemon juice.' If, like Tamimi, your entertaining MO is to pile a load of dishes in the middle of the table, you also have to draw the line somewhere. For Tamimi, that line is tzatziki: 'I just buy it, but the thing with readymade dips is that they don't taste fresh, so you need to add a bit of zing.' That's not to say you need to get all fancy, mind: just a squeeze of lemon, a bit of lemon zest and/or some fresh herbs (think mint, coriander) will 'bring it to life'. While we're at it, no one is ever making their own taramasalata (no arguments, please), so head to the shops and that's a 'really nice addition to brunch with bagels and smoked salmon', Tamimi adds. One dip that you'll never catch him buying, however, is hummus: 'That's a big no-no. Shop-bought versions have so many stabilisers, they always taste grainy and they're made with not enough tahini and not enough, well, everything!' Hummus, he insists, should be made fresh ('I boil more chickpeas than I need and freeze half for another day') and eaten within two days. 'There are nicer things you can buy, so, when it comes to hummus, just make it.' Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Rhubarb with star anise, ginger, orange and labneh
Overview Prep time 10 mins Cook time 30 mins Serves 4 -6 Ingredients 700g rhubarb (get stalks that are roughly the same thickness) 65g granulated sugar 100g honey 200ml blood orange juice 2 broad strips of orange zest 2 slices of root ginger, about the thickness of a pound coin 1 star anise pistachios, to serve For the labneh 400g Greek yoghurt 1½ tbsp icing sugar pinch of cinnamon Method Step For the labneh, pour off the liquid sitting on top of 400g Greek yoghurt Step Mix in 1½ tbsp icing sugar and a pinch of cinnamon then tip the 400g Greek yoghurt into some muslin. Set this in a sieve, tie the muslin to form a bag and put it in the fridge. Leave for about 12 hours or so, squeezing the muslin bag every so often. Step Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Trim the bases and tops of 700g rhubarb stalks. Cut into 3cm lengths and put into a large ovenproof dish in which they can lie – more or less - in a single layer. Step Put the 65g granulated sugar, 100g honey, 200ml blood orange juice, 100ml water, 2 broad strips of orange zest, 2 slices of root ginger and 1 star anise into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring to help the sugar dissolve – about 5 minutes. Step Pour over the rhubarb and cover the dish tightly with two layers of foil. Bake for 20 minutes for medium stalks; the cooking time depends very much on the thickness of the stalks, so check after 15 minutes and cook for longer if necessary. The rhubarb should be tender but not collapsing. Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and put it on a flat dish. This will ensure that the rhubarb doesn't keep cooking.
