Labneh Dip: an Amalgamation of Three Online Recipes
I’m still without a smartphone camera, so my pictures sucks —and my learning curve is high. It’s been forever since I picked up a real camera (to shoot my son’s soccer games). Even then, digital’s not real photography. I used to be able to handle a Nikon FM2 with manual focus, aperture, and everything. Until or if I get my phone camera back, the Unsplash picture above will do…
All that to say…I wanted to share a labneh dip I recently made, using parts of three online recipes: one with walnuts, another with some sort of red chili, and the basics (lemon juice, herbs).
No measuring, just a little of this and a little of that from what I had in my kitchen. The final product is addictively garlicky, with a coveted depth of flavor. I haven’t been in much of a mood to eat it, though. I crave something that doesn’t exist in my mind.
Mom’s Korean comfort food. A smoothie in Maui. Some freshly made sushi in Tokyo. Hainan Chicken in Singapore…
You get it…
Eh, maybe I’m just getting older.
But you’re not, so try making this.
My most important piece of advice is to taste as you go along. If it’s bland, add salt and pepper, lemon juice, and a kick of more garlic. Grate your garlic, always. Dried herbs are just as good — in smaller quantities — as fresh, especially during the fall/winter months.
Psst. You can pile-drive dried parsley. Dip doesn’t mind.
My Labneh Dip:
Ingredients —
Labneh, 8 ounces — I bought mine ready-made at Food Land International Market in Boise, but you can make your own; it just involves draining liquid to intensify flavor
Lemon juice from a large lemon
Garlic, 3 cloves, grated
Walnuts, chopped semi-fine (I like chunks)
Extra virgin olive oil
Aleppo pepper, 1 tsp.
Dill, dried, a handful
Parsley, dried, more than a handful
A few spoonfuls of juice from leftover tomato & cucumber salad (garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, olive oil)
Anaheim and jalapeno peppers, oiled, salted, and roasted until slightly charred, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions —
Chop and gather and mix everything together. Keep adding seasoning until you achieve the right depth of flavor. Serve with raw vegetables, like carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas, and celery, as well as flatbread.
I found a recipe from Fifteen Spatulas for sourdough discard flatbread that doesn’t need any leavener. Just spread it out onto a hot frying pan, flatten some more with a spatula, season with salt and pepper and bagel seasoning, and flip when golden underneath. Finish frying on the other side.
I really like the idea of a Labneh Dip with Sizzled Scallions and Chile in a NY Times Cooking recipe, similar to the method of making Cilbir, Turkish Eggs. Next time, if there’s a party somewhere in heaven, I might make this one…