You probably have a stovetop smoker, or a smoker donabe (ibushi gin), smoked labneh ought to be excessive in your checklist of issues to make. Labneh is made just by straining yogurt. The ensuing consistency is wealthy, creamy and exquisite. Wonderful by itself, you may as well incorporate herbs, spices, or different substances. I do know the variety of you with a stovetop smoker might be slim, however I love experimenting with mine, at all times making an attempt to provide you with extra methods to make use of it, particularly now that we’ve got a gasoline vary once more. A great distance of claiming, if you wish to mess around along with your smoker extra, I see you. I exploit mine for all types of issues – nuts, cheeses, tofu, greens, and on and on. So I’ll attempt to submit extra as I’m utilizing it.
Smoked Labneh: The Inspiration
Smoked labneh has been on my checklist of issues to make for a while now. Late final 12 months we made just a few journeys to San Francisco to ensure we have been able to make the transfer again from LA. I’d stroll by the Presidio to lunch at Dalida, partly, as a result of I like their home made pita state of affairs – referred to as Breaking Bread. The pita comes with a trio of spreads (hummus, muhammara, smoked yogurt), some pickles and olives. The smoked yogurt is a show-stopper – wealthy, creamy, luxe. The server wasn’t positive the way it was ready however I began occupied with the right way to method it as soon as I may get my smoker unpacked. I already make home made labneh often, so it wouldn’t be an excessive amount of of a leap. Flash ahead, and I’ve made smoked labneh a variety of occasions within the weeks since!Â
The Approach
I’ve been utilizing a cold-smoke approach and it really works properly. It’s the place you retain the yogurt chilly however flood the world round it with smoke. Each smoker is barely completely different, so that you would possibly have to tweak your method, however this offers you the final thought of how to consider it. You’ll be able to see in my diagram under how issues are layered within the smoker. Beginning on the backside: a chunk of foil, wooden chips, the grate, a bowl of ice and a few water, the shallow container of labneh, the lid finally goes on above that.
You’ll be able to see the aluminum foil sitting on the underside of the smoker topped with wooden chips. The foil makes for straightforward cleanup. 
Under, a stainless-steel bowl of ice and a few water sits on prime of a grate, which retains the bowl from having direct contact with warmth or the wooden chips. The labneh sits within the ice, holding the yogurt cool by the smoking course of.
Alternate method: There’s additionally a technique for smoking Labneh within the NOPI cookbook, however I haven’t tried it but. The labneh is shaped right into a puck form and positioned on a chunk of parchment paper contained in the smoker – no ice. In addition they use completely different aromatics for smoking (oolong tea, caraway seeds, pink peppercorn, and so on). I think the largest distinction could be texturally, with the parchment model dropping extra moisture and probably taking over extra taste as a result of extra floor space is uncovered? Excited to take this model for a spin as nicely.
Video: How To Make Smoked Labneh
How Lengthy Ought to I Smoke the Labneh?
Each smoker has its personal quirks and personalities. My recommendation right here is to take good notes. You desire a good, spherical, stability of smoky notes. Purpose for the candy spot between too refined and too robust acrid (yikes). Each time I exploit the smoker I make be aware of: what I’m smoking, what sort of wooden chips / herbs, and so on., and the way lengthy. Then be aware how I’d enhance or lower the time sooner or later. Good notes are key to getting a great working relationship along with your smoker. Twenty minutes appears to be the candy spot right here for the labneh utilizing applewood chips. An analogous timeframe labored nicely for this smoked chocolate mousse.
What if I don’t Have a Stovetop Smoker?
Right here’s what my smoker seems like, I loooove it (not sponsored). If I didn’t have my Ibushi Gin (donabe smoker) one other method to get smoky taste into the labneh is likely to be to make use of a smoked salt. I’d grind it finely with a mortar and pestle and go from there. I’ve by no means actually favored liquid smoke, in order that wouldn’t be my transfer, however that doesn’t imply you couldn’t experiment a bit as one more method. There may very nicely be higher liquid smokes available on the market in comparison with the final time I performed round with it.
Smoked Labneh: Serving Concepts
- Drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with crimson gomashio (pictured above), together with candied nuts with rose water, seeded flatbread, and various cookies.
- Rather than the poblano yogurt on this mushroom tartine.
- Rather than the ricotta on this roasted mushroom sandwich.
- Rather than the inexperienced chile yogurt on this sourdough galette.
- Rolled into 1-inch balls, rolled in spices, herbs, and/or seeds, and stored, refrigerated, in a jar topped off with olive oil.
Extra Yogurt Recipes
- Selfmade Labneh
- Frozen Yogurt
- Pomegranate Yogurt Bowl
- Mast-o-Khiar Yogurt
- Recent Mint Chip Frozen Yogurt
Extra Methods to Use Stovetop Smoker
Proceed studying Smoked Labneh on 101 Cookbooks
