Labneh balls are a type of cheese made from yogurt and marinated in oil. Most people are familiar with labneh in its spreadable form, which is simply strained yogurt, but when strained further it can be rolled into these creamy, tangy, delicious morsels. Labneh balls are typically rolled in flavoursome herbs or spices like za'atar or chilli flakes, but can also be plain, then stored in olive oil to preserve them. These can be stored at room temperature but they must be completely submerged in the oil, no parts poking out about the oil. Of course you can refrigerate them, which I do, but the oil will thicken or firm up over time. If serving as part of a mezze or cheese board be sure to remove from the refrigerator a few hours beforehand to let the oil warm back up and liquify.
Ingredients
4 cups/900 grams Store-bought or homemade yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
lemon juice (optional)
olive oil
a clean sterilised jar
cheese cloth for thin tea towel
Seasoning ideas for coating
za'atar
sumac
chili flakes
dukkah mix
mint and dried lemon zest
everything bagel seasonings
Method
In a bowl mix together the yogurt, salt and the optional lemon juice if you like some extra tang.
Place colendar in a bowl and line with a double layer of cheese cloth. Spoon the yogurt into the cloth and fold the sides over the top. On top of this place a small plate, bowl or anything that will fit on top while allowing room for the yogurt to condense. Place a heavy jar or bottle on top of this and strain. For standard labneh you would only strain this for about 24 hours but for what we are doing here you want this to strain for 2-3 days. This can be done at room temperature or in the fridge.
Once straining is complete the yogurt should be much firmer than standard labneh. Transfer to a bowl. Prepare your seasonings in a few small bowls to roll your labneh balls in.
With clean hands roll a small amount of labneh into a golfball sized ball. Roll around in the seasoning of your choice, I chose za'atar and spicy dukkah, and place the ball into a clean jar. Repeat until jar is full to about an inch from the top.
Slowly fill the jar with olive oil making sure to cover all the balls so they are completely submerged.
These may be stored at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 2 months.
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