Labna (yogurt cheese)

Do you remember my homemade ricotta? That recipe is wonderful – I’ve received comments and emails from many of you who have tried it too, with great results. I have made it dozens of times already and used it in both savory and sweet dishes. I thought it was about time I tried another recipe from Donna Hay’s cheese making spread (issue 35), especially after seeing the wonderful cheeses my friend Ana Elisa has been making lately.

If you liked the ricotta, you’re gonna love the labna: it’s even easier to make – no cooking involved, no need for a thermometer – and tasted really good. I highly recommend it.

Labna (yogurt cheese)
from Donna Hay magazine

2 cups (520g) plain, full fat yogurt
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
olive oil to cover
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
½ teaspoon black peppercorns

Place the yogurt and salt in a bowl and stir to combine. Line a sieve with fine muslin and place over a deep bowl – the bottom of the sieve should not be in contact with the liquid released from the yogurt. Pour the yogurt mixture into the sieve. Cover, set aside in the refrigerator and allow to drain for 5 days, removing the liquid every once in a while.
Roll 2 teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place in an airtight jar. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Add the oregano and peppercorns and cover with oil*. Store the labna in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

* the olive oil coating may solidify in the refrigerator so allow the labna to return to room temperature before you serve it.

Serves 4

Homemade ricotta

I’ve heard many times that we get wiser as we get older. I’m not sure about getting wiser, but I’ve definitely gotten braver.

After making macarons for the first time, I had to try something completely new. Making cheese sounded like a good idea. It worked so well I’m ready for my next challenge – maybe watching "The Exorcist" without closing my eyes not even once. :D

Homemade ricotta
from Donna Hay magazine

6 cups full cream milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar

Place the milk and a candy thermometer in a saucepan over medium heat and heat to 80ºC/176ºF. Remove from the heat, add the vinegar and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until curds form.
Line a colander with fine muslin and place over a deep bowl. Use a slotted spoon to carefully spoon the curds into the colander*. Allow to drain for 5 minutes.

Spoon the ricotta into a glass or ceramic dish and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

* the reason it needs to be spooned carefully is to ensure the curds hold their shape. Pouring them straight into the colander will result in the cheese becoming dry and grainy.

Makes 1 ¼ cups – after removing the curds and placing them in the colander, I added more vinegar to the remaining milk and got more curds. I made 1/3 of the recipe and got almost 1 cup ricotta.