Squeeze in the sunshine: Labneh, dukkah, salted cucumber & radishes

Published: 00:02 GMT, 22 May 2022 | Updated: 00:02 GMT, 22 May 2022

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Dukkah is an amazing flavour booster that can inject wonderfulness to pretty much anything it touches. The recipe makes more than you’ll need, so store any leftovers in a jar to stir into salads, scatter over chicken before roasting, serve with olive oil and bread or simply snack on straight out of the jar when nobody’s looking.

SERVES 4–6

PREP 5 mins

COOK 20 mins + draining

LABNEH

500g Greek yoghurt

½(half) tsp salt

½(half) garlic clove, crushed

DUKKAH

100g almonds (ideally unblanched)

50g blanched hazelnuts

100g sesame seeds

100g pumpkin seeds

1 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp flaky sea salt

2 tbsp fennel seeds

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tsp pink peppercorns

TO SERVE

small cucumbers

radishes, halved

extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

flatbreads

sea salt, to taste

To make the labneh, mix the yoghurt, salt and garlic in a bowl until combined. Transfer the mixture to the centre of a clean piece of muslin or a couple of layers of thick kitchen paper, gather up the sides and twist to enclose the mixture. Place in a sieve suspended over a large bowl and leave to drain in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or longer if you have the time, until thickened. Taste, adjusting the seasoning if needed. Transfer to an airtight container and keep chilled. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To make the dukkah, preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place the almonds, hazelnuts, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds on a large baking sheet. Stir in the olive oil and salt and bake for 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients then return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Set aside and, once cooled, crush roughly in a pestle and mortar. Transfer to an airtight container and store for up to 2 weeks.
Just before leaving on your picnic, cut some cucumbers into large chunks and halve some radishes. Season both with salt and transfer to airtight portable containers. Serve the labneh with a drizzle of olive oil, a scattering of dukkah and the salted cucumber and radishes. You’ll also want some fluffy flatbreads to mop it all up with.