The_Australian_Women_Weekly_Food_Issue_24_2017

47

HOMEMADE

PLAIN YOGHURT

START 1 DAY BEFORE PREP + COOK TIME

15 MINUTES (+ STANDING) MAKES 1 LITRE

KEEPS FOR UP TO 2 WEEKS

Think of your first batch of yoghurt

as an investment. For this reason,

the yoghurt you use as the starter should

be the purest and best quality, preferably

organic and with live cultures. The milk

you use is less important, as the yoghurt

will work with both homogenised and

non−homogenised milk.

EQUIPMENT

cooking thermometer

1.5 litre (6−cup) Thermos flask

YOGHURT

1 litre (4 cups) full−cream milk

¼ cup (70g) plain or greek−style

yoghurt (see cook’s notes)

1 Heat milk in a large saucepan over

medium heat until it reaches 80°C

on a cooking thermometer. (At this

temperature the milk will form a

skin, but it should not be allowed

to simmer or boil.)

2 Half−fill a sink or large bowl with

iced water. Place the saucepan in the

water; stir until the milk cools to 35°C.

3 Meanwhile, fill a Thermos with

boiling water and seal.

4 Remove saucepan from the water,

add yoghurt; whisk to combine. Drain

the thermos and pour in the yoghurt

mixture. Seal; set aside for 8 hours or

until the yoghurt has thickened. Pour

into a sterilised container, stir until

smooth; label and date. Refrigerate.

LABNE(THICKYOGHURT)

START 1 DAY BEFORE PREP TIME 5 MINUTES

(+ REFRIGERATION) MAKES 1 CUP KEEPS FOR

UPTO1WEEK

Labne is yoghurt that has been drained

of some of the whey. As a general rule,

you will lose about half of the yoghurt as

whey (the drained watery mixture).

EQUIPMENT

25cm piece muslin

LABNE

2 cups (560g) homemade plain

yoghurt (recipe left) or

greek−style yoghurt

1 Placeasieveoverasmallbowl.

Line with muslin; spoon yoghurt into

muslin, gather into a ball, secure with

string or an elastic band. Refrigerate

for 24 hours or until thickened.

2 Transfer labne to a small airtight

container; label and date.

SAVOURY FLAVOUR BOOSTER

SMOKY HARISSA

Stir ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon

smoked paprika and 1½ tablespoons

mild harissa into ½ cup labne.

SWEET FLAVOUR BOOSTERS

LEMON & MINT

Stir 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, pinch

of salt, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

and ½ teaspoon honey into ½ cup labne.

STRAWBERRY ROSE

Mash 125g ripe strawberries with

½teaspoon rosewater, 1 teaspoon

lemon juice and 2 teaspoons caster

sugar. Fold through ½ cup labne.

PASSIONFRUIT & ORANGE

Sieve juice from 2 passionfruit;

reserve 1 teaspoon of seeds. Stir juice

and reserved seeds into ½ cup labne

with 1 teaspoon grated orange

rind and 1 tablespoon honey.

RICH&CREAMY

CRÈME FRAÎCHE

START 2 DAYS BEFORE PREP TIME 5 MINUTES
(+ STANDING) MAKES 2 CUPS KEEPS FOR UP
TO3WEEKS

Crème fraîche is similar to sour cream
and can be used similarly. Sour cream
is 35% butterfat and made by adding
a bacterial culture to pouring cream.
Traditional French crème fraîche is
made from richer cream. It also has
a culture added, but the resulting tang
is more mellow. Crème fraîche is heat
stable and doesn’t curdle in hot mixtures.

EQUIPMENT
3−cup (750ml) sterilised jar

CRÈME FRAÎCHE
2 cups (500ml) pouring cream
¼ cup (60ml) buttermilk

1 Combine cream and buttermilk in
a 3−cup (750ml) covered sterilised jar
or container. Stand at room temperature
for 48 hours or until thickened. Do not
shake orstir the mixture while it’s
standing. Refrigerate.

Made From Scratch

COOK’S

NOTES

YOGHURT STARTER

The starter yoghurt must contain

live cultures or the result will be a

thin, milky mixture with no lactic

taste. Look for cow, sheep or

goat’s milk yoghurt that lists live

(and therefore active) cultures

(lactobacillus bulgaricus and

streptococcus thermophilus)

on the label. Many greek-style

yoghurts don’t contain live

cultures, so read labels carefully.