Labneh Lamb Chops - with Tabbouleh salad and za'atar

Labneh - a firm favourite in my kitchen. Made from double thick strained yoghurt its the savoury creamy cheese that you didn't know you needed.

As much as I would love to purchase, its not a product readily available.

Simple to make - ass you need is some time, and a fancy nut milk bag or muslin

Labneh

I bought a Rawlicious nut milk bag and have been searching for a reason to use it.

if you don't have a bag, a nice square of muslin will work around 50cm square will do, double it up for peace of mind

Ingredients:

1 litre double cream yoghurt

1 teaspoon Maldon salt flakes

Mix half the salt into the yoghurt, taste, and add more if necessary.

Pour your mixture into your nut milk bag or muslin square. Tie the muslin square at the corners and change from your water faucet as pictured.

Yoghurt & salt hanging from the faucet

Alternately you can place the muslin bag onto a sieve in a bowl and place in the fridge overnight.

The yoghurt mixture needs to hang for a good 4 hours - but the longer the better.

Besides the recipe that follows, this is a great addition to a cheese platter or just served smeared on a plate with good quality cold pressed olive oil and za'atar sprinkle with some fresh pita. This recipe will last in the fridge for up to 10 days in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Tabbouleh salad

A vegetarian salad made with bulgar wheat, finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, mint, onion & lemon

chopped tabbouleh ingredients

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgar wheat

1 cup boiling water

60ml olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Juice of 2 lemons (around 60ml)

3 garlic cloves minced (a heaped tablespoon)

1 cup finely chopped plum or exotic tomatoes

2 sprigs spring onion

1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley (around 40g)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

In a bowl mix the bulgar wheat and boiling water, cover and set aside for about 20 minutes to absorb.

Mix the dressing, olive oil, salt, lemon together. Add to the bulgar mixture. Add in the remainder of the ingredients.

Set aside

Lamb Chops

The key to chops is quality, buy from your local butcher, ask for a loin chops

Ingredients:

6 Lamb chops

Maldon salt flakes

freshly cracked black pepper

3 tablespoons Za'atar (recipe here)

Micro herbs to garnish

On a flat pan set to a medium heat. Season the chops. First cook the chops fat side down, to render the fat, this is the most important part when cooking lamb chops, otherwise you will result in uncooked fat, and that is a travesty.

Cook the cops to your desired temperate.

Rest for 3 minutes.

To assemble:

Smear the labneh on the plate, arrange the tabbouleh salad along the length of the plate off centre to the right. Plate the chops and arrange the za'atar along the labneh to the left.

Garnish with micro herbs