We love Middle Eastern cuisine and were thrilled to see a new recipe come through from Noreen at Noni’s Place for a very special Labneh Tart with Rhubarb compote. Noreen explains what labneh actually is and what makes it so unique for using in the kitchen…
‘Labneh is the result of an age-old Levantine method of straining yogurt to remove the whey giving it a creamy and silky texture. It’s oh-so luscious feel is literally the perfect amalgamation between cheese and a thick yogurt. In this recipe I’ve used labneh as the filling for a tart. The labneh comes together with the eggs, vanilla, & sugar and once baked forms a heavenly custard-like flavor and texture. The rhubarb compote on top cuts the richness with a sweet tartness that complements the labneh’
You’ll see that Noreen has used the Falcon pie dish (which are also a part of our bake set) to serve the rhubarb compote. The pie dishes would also be perfect if you wanted to create a few mini versions of the recipe, and save one for a later date! Why not hunt down some labneh and try it out this bank holiday weekend. Enjoy!
for the crust:
¾ cup + 2 tbs almond meal (ground almonds)
½ cup + 2 tbs flour
1 stick melted unsalted butter (113 grams)
3 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
With a wooden spoon mix the butter, sugar and salt in a bowl till combined. Add the almond meal and flour. Use your hands to mix till it forms a dough. If it’s too crumbly and wet, add an extra tablespoon of flour till it comes together.
Using your fingers press the dough evenly into a tart pan (14 inch rectangle or 9 inch round) and prick the dough with a fork to release any air. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350F/177C for 25 minutes. Set aside.
for the rhubarb compote:
2 cups rhubarb (roughly cut into chunks)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
the juice of ½ a lemon
Over medium heat add the rhubarb, sugar, vanilla, salt & lemon juice into a saucepan. Once the rhubarb starts cooking down (about four minutes) reduce the heat to low and let simmer for another three minutes. Set aside.
for the labneh tart:
1 cup labneh
½ cup crème fraîche
3 eggs
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Preheat the oven to 300F/148 C. In a bowl whisk the labneh, crème fraîche, eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla bean till smooth and creamy.
Pour the labneh mixture into the prepared tart shell and place into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes increase the heat to 350F/177C and bake for another 10 minutes. Make sure to keep a vigilant eye on the tart during the last 10 minutes of baking, if it starts getting brown remove from the oven. The tart should be firm with just a tad of jiggle when you shake it.
Serve the tart with dollops of rhubarb compote and crushed pistachios on top.
Credit details: Noreen Wasti