When getting a group of friends together, there’s nothing more necessary than having something delicious to nibble on and share around the table over good chatter and drinks. In this month’s recipe, we take the opportunity during NAIDOC WEEK to celebrate some of the incredible native ingredients that we are blessed to have at our doorstep. Straining our Buffalo Yogurt into a tangy labne is only half the story. We pair it with the likes of desert oak (a variety of native wattleseed), macadamia and mountain pepper, bringing a whole new dimension of spice and textural bite to what can otherwise be just another ordinary dukkah. But there is nothing ordinary about this. Finished with pops of tart finger lime, this dish is bright, full of colour, and tastes like a true celebration of this beautiful land.
The labne needs to be prepared a day ahead. Start by stirring the salt into the yoghurt well. Cut a piece of cheese cloth and fold it once over so that there are two layers of cloth then lay it over a bowl. Spoon the yoghurt mixture into the centre of the cloth, then gather the corners of the cloth together and secure it to something that you can use to hang the yoghurt from inside the fridge. We tied it to a wooden spoon and hung it from the wine rack (see photo). Place a bowl underneath to catch the dripping liquid as it hangs. Leave it to hang for a minimum 24 hours or until the desired thickness is achieved (you can also leave it up to 48 hours). The longer you hang it, the more your labne will drip out it’s whey and you will be left with a thicker and thicker consistency.
To prepare the dukkah, combine all the ingredients in a bowl then toast gently on a baking tray in a 180°C oven for a 3-4 minutes until it becomes fragrant. Set aside and allow to cool.
Thinly slice the seeded baguette at an angle and lay onto a lined baking tray. Drizzle generously with EVOO and sprinkle with some sea salt to taste. Bake for 7-8 minutes, turning the pieces of bread half way through, until they are browned and crispy.
To plate up, spoon a mound of labne in the centre of your serving dish and spread it out with the back of a spoon creating a valley to capture the oil. Top with some dukkah, fronds of chervil, squeeze out some pearls of finger lime and drizzle generously with mandarin EVOO. Serve accompanied with seeded baguette crisps. You can also serve with other raw veg crudités for dipping such as radish and baby carrots.
