Roasted rhubarb with sweet labneh
Perfect for a late brunch. It's best to drain the yoghurt overnight, to give it time to reach the desired rich and creamy texture (four to six hours will just about do, though the labneh may not be as thick). Either way, give the yoghurt bundle a squeeze a couple of times while it's draining. If you want to avoid draining altogether, use a thick Greek or Arab yoghurt as it is - the finished dish won't be as rich and dessert-like, but it will still be wonderfully fresh.
4 people
Serving size
Ingredients
800g natural yoghurt
80g icing sugar Salt
400g rhubarb
100ml muscat (or other dessert wine)
70g caster sugar
½ vanilla pod, scraped or ½ tsp vanilla paste
Skin of 1 lemon, half-shaved into strips and the rest grated
20g pistachios, coarsely chopped
Method
- Put the yoghurt in a bowl with the icing sugar and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Mix well and transfer to the middle of a clean muslin or linen cloth. Tie into a bundle with an elastic band or string, and hang over a bowl in the fridge for up to 18 hours.
- Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Cut the rhubarb into 6cm batons and mix with the wine, sugar, vanilla pod and seeds, and lemon strips. Put in an ovenproof dish that's just large enough snugly to accommodate the rhubarb and roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Set aside.
- Just before serving, give the yoghurt a good squeeze to release the last of the water. Remove from the cloth and place in a bowl. Stir in the grated zest and spoon on to plates. Top with the rhubarb and some of its cooking juices and sprinkle over the nuts.