Dehydrated yogurt or labneh

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 ml yogurt, set, 3.5% (not creamy)
• possibly salt (only for the hearty version)

Instructions

Working time approx. 5 minutes; Rest time approx. 8 hours; Total time approx. 8 hours 5 minutes

is often eaten in the Middle East

Hang a sieve over a pot. Leave a few centimeters of space between the bottom of the pot and the sieve, as this is where the whey collects. Line the sieve with a smooth kitchen towel. Pour the yogurt into the kitchen towel. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, pour the drained yogurt into a small bowl. The whey can be discarded. I use a plastic sieve with small holes and don’t need a cloth. Only the whey drains. The safest method, however, is a kitchen towel. Labneh tastes very creamy and, if unsalted, can be used in sweet dishes. If you want to use it for savory dishes like tzatziki, salt the yogurt first and then pour it into the sieve. Do not use yogurt that has been stirred until creamy. It won’t work that way. In the Middle East, the salted version of labneh is often eaten for breakfast, either spread on bread or drizzled with olive oil along with olives.