From Syria With Love

In his book Sumac, Syrian-born author ANAS ATASSI shares family recipes and the cultural traditions that helped shape him.

- Anas Atassi

Labneh

“Labneh is sold ready to eat in every supermarket in Syria,” says Anas Atassi. “Syrian labneh is fresher and has a more citrusy taste than Western varieties of thickened yoghurt. So, if you buy pre-thickened yoghurt, you may want to add some lemon juice to it.”

500 gm Greek yoghurt

Juice of ½ lemon

Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Dried mint, Aleppo pepper, za’atar, oregano, dried thyme, nigella seeds or sumac, to garnish

1 Mix together yoghurt and lemon juice, and season with salt to taste. Line a fine sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth or with a muslin cloth. You could also use a clean cotton tea towel. Set sieve over a bowl to catch drained liquid.

2 Spoon yoghurt into lined sieve. Gather up the edges of the cloth or towel then twist to form a tight bundle and knot the ends. Refrigerate yoghurt in the sieve (including the bowl to catch any liquid) for at least 12 hours. Once it has drained the labneh should be the consistency of cream cheese. Spoon labneh into a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with your toppings of choice.

As a child I was fascinated by TV cooking shows and would spend hours watching them with my sister. It didn’t matter if the chef was Italian, Asian or Middle Eastern – there we were, glued to the television set. And, whenever I got the chance, I would sit in the kitchen to watch my mother cook, regaling her with my made-up stories in the hopes of being allowed to stay there just a little bit longer.