Sweet Cicely and Wild Thyme Flavoured Labnah is a traditional Lebanese recipe for a classic starter or accompaniment of yoghurt flavoured with sumac and wild thyme that's topped with olive oil and mixed seeds. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Lebanese version of: Sweet Cicely and Wild Thyme Flavoured Labnah.
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Labnah/Labneh is a classic Lebanese yoghurt accompaniment that can pretty much be flavoured with anything. It can also be served as a dip or sauce. This recipe uses wild thyme which is much milder than it's garden relative. If you can't find wild thyme, garden thyme will do, just reduce the quantities appropriately.
Ingredients:
500g natural yoghurt
1 tbsp sweet cicely seeds (or fennel seeds), crushed
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
4 tbsp fresh wild thyme leaves, very finely chopped
1 tsp freshly-grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp sumac (double the lemon zest if not available)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pomegranate seeds, to garnish
Method:
Line a sieve with muslin and place the yoghurt in this to drain into a bowl. Cover the resultant thickened yoghurt with clingfilm and place in the fridge over night (in the sieve); you will have about 250g left.
The following day combine the sweet cicely seeds, sesame seeds, thyme, lemon zest and sumac in a bowl. Carefully turn out the cooled labnah onto a plate, making sure it keeps its rounded shape, then drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle the seed mixture over the top. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.
Serve with pitta bread or herbed focaccia for dipping.
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