Ingredients
| 500g plain yoghurt | |
| 1 cup dill, chopped | |
| 1⁄2 cup currants | |
| 1⁄2 cup rice wine or cider vinegar | |
| 1 potato | |
| 1 litre sunflower oil | |
| 1 tablespoon salt | |
| 2 leeks |
The thought behind this was a sour-cream-and-chives-type vibe. I hope that is what you get – smoky, succulent leeks, crispy little chippies and wee pops of sweet and sour with the currants.
Instructions
| 1. | Put the yoghurt in a tea-towel or muslin and hang over a bowl to allow the whey to drip out. |
| 2. | You can do this overnight or for as little as an hour, depending on how thick you want your labneh. |
| 3. | Once the desired texture is achieved, mix the dill through. |
| 4. | Cover the currants with the vinegar and leave to soak while preparing the other components. |
| 5. | Slice the potato into 2mm thick rounds – a mandolin is the best tool for this – putting the slices straight into cold water. |
| 6. | Replace the water once they’re all sliced, add salt and soak for about 30 minutes. |
| 7. | Drain and place on a tea-towel to remove excess water. Heat the oil to 1800C in a pot, then fry the slices in batches, removing as soon as they begin to brown. |
| 8. | Put into a bowl and season with salt. |
| 9. | The chips will keep in an airtight container for a few days. |
| 10. | Preheat the oven to 1800C. |
| 11. | Trim the tops off the leeks and put them in a baking dish with about two cups of water (or I used the whey from the yoghurt as the braising liquid). |
| 12. | Cover the dish and bake for 20 minutes. |
| 13. | The purpose is to just soften the leeks through, not to cook them so they’re falling apart. |
| 14. | Once the leeks are cooked and cooled (this can be done days in advance as they’ll keep in the fridge) finish them by charring over coals or on the barbecue. |
| 15. | You can go further than you think with the charring as the sweetness of the leeks really stands up to the bitterness of the charred outer layer. |
| 16. | Spread the labneh on a dish, top with the leeks and scatter over the currants. |
Recipes, food styling & photography Will Bowman
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