I came across this recipe for Ottolenghi’s Lemon Labneh Posset a short while ago and saved it to make at some point. And it was after receiving a box full of beautiful, organic lemons for a shoot that a few beauties were immediately saved for this recipe.
A posset is a quintessential British dessert with a similar consistency to that of a panna cotta or custard, but it is acid (lemon juice in this recipe) that is used to set the mixture as opposed to gelatine, corn flour or eggs. It is such a delicious dessert with a smooth, silky soft set and this lemon version is citrussy, zesty and fresh, the addition of the labneh adding some tangy richness.
You can buy the labneh or follow this super easy recipe to make your own. A stash of homemade labneh in the fridge is never a bad thing and do click here for all the recipes on the site using labneh.
As with all things Ottolenghi, the recipe had many steps but I took a few shortcuts. You strain the mixture of all the zest but I added a teaspoon of the zest back as I like to have that bit of texture in the posset. I had some leftover meringues that I used to decorate the dessert, you can bake a batch or use some store bought meringues. Much easier. I do think some buttery shortbread will be a delicious replacement for the meringue. Either way, you want texture to offset the smoothness of the posset.
For the burnt lemon powder, I really don’t think it’s worth the trouble. The lemon peels charred in minutes and it was a bit of a mission to grind it to a powder that did not taste that great to be honest. But do try it and decide for yourself.
I hope you enjoy making this recipe for Ottolenghi’s Lemon Labneh Posset . If you’ve made it, share it with me by tagging @heinstirred on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #heinstirred. It is always a treat to see the recipes made and enjoy.
All images in this post has been shot on the SUNFLOWER SEED and FARM KITCHEN backgrounds available at shop.heinstirred.com. The coasters are from my range of HEIN HOME Tableware.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest from 1 to 2 lemons
- 200 g lemon juice about 4 - 5 lemons
- 250 g sugar
- good pinch salt
- 650 g double cream
- 200 g labneh
- For the burnt lemon powder :
- 2 unwaxed lemons
- To serve :
- few meringues, broken in shards
Instructions
- Combine lemon zest, juice, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar, then set aside
- In a separate saucepan, heat the double cream over a medium heat until it just gently starts to bubble, about 7 to 10 minutes
- Remove from the heat, pour the cream into the lemon mixture, whisk until combined, then whisk in the labneh until smooth
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a jug with a spout (add back a teaspoon of the strained zest for some texture - optional)
- Divide the mixture across 8 glasses and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight
- Prepare the burnt lemon powder:
- Heat the oven to 240 degrees Celsius
- Use a small, sharp knife to cut the peel off the lemons in long strips, with as little pith as possible. You want about 30 grams in total
- Line a small baking tray with baking paper and bake the peel for about 12 - 15 minutes until completely dry and almost burnt
- Transfer to a pestle and mortar and finely grind, then pass through a sieve and discard any large pieces. You want about 1 teaspoon of powder
- Use a small, sharp knife, trim off any excess peel off the lemons, cut between the membranes to release the segments and roughly chop each segment into 2 to 3 pieces
- To serve, top possets with lemon segments, a sprinkling of burnt lemon powder and a few meringue shards
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