Description
The creamy labneh cools down the spice of these powerful peppers.
Ingredients
Scale
For the labneh:
- 16 oz. container of whole milk Greek yogurt
- Sea salt
For the peppers:
- ½ lb of sweet peppers, such as Jimmy Nardello and/or Lipstick*
- 4–5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
- Flaky salt, such as Maldon
- Fresh herbs, to garnish
Instructions
For the labneh:
- Line a small strainer with a piece of cheese cloth or clean tea towel.
- Place the strainer on top of a bowl.
- Place the yogurt in the cheese cloth-lined strainer and gather up the edges and twist them together.
- Periodically, give the cheese cloth a squeeze to remove excess liquid.
- The labneh is ready when it has thickened so that it is spreadable but not pourable – this should take several hours.
- When ready, season lightly with sea salt, place in a clean jar or bowl, and refrigerate until ready to use. This will make more than you need but it will keep in the refrigerator.
For the peppers:
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to warm, then the peppers. Sear until they’re blistered and softened.
- Add the garlic and continue cooking for a few more minutes, then season with some flaky salt and remove from the heat.
- Spread the labneh on the bottom of a platter, top with the roasted peppers, and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and fresh herbs. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
Jimmy Nardello is an Italian heirloom pepper brought to the U.S. in the late 1880s. It has a sweet, deep flavor – not spicy – and is perfect for frying. It’s about 6-8” long and can be used in combination with the smaller, vibrant red Lipstick peppers.