I initially started making yoghurt while the restaurant was being painstakingly built. I had the opportunity to attempt so many things in the kitchen that I’d always wanted to do but never found the time for. I started with the fundamentals: bread, butter, yoghurt; later moving on to pickling and preserving. It was these time-honoured, almost forgotten, skills that really intrigued me. To me, they are the very staff of life.
I have always loved yoghurt. Cool, sharp and creamy, I adore its purity of flavour, but also like to use it as a base for sauces, laced with vibrant fresh herbs, freshly chopped garlic or chilli, turmeric, honey and spices. It makes for a delicious marinade, dressing or topping.
Yoghurt is easy and satisfying to make. There are just a couple of important factors to bear in mind. Firstly, the live yoghurt you add must have a taste that you particularly like, as it will ultimately influence the flavour of the yoghurt that you are making. Secondly, in order to nourish and promote the healthy bacteria to be found in yoghurt, the milk must be at the correct temperature, so a cook’s thermometer is useful.
If you prefer a thicker, denser yoghurt – in the style of labne – hang your yoghurt in clean muslin over a bowl overnight.