Roasted Piccolo Tomatoes With Labneh, Dukkah And Tomato Vine Oil Recipe
Juicy roasted Piccolo tomatoes are the perfect partner for labneh due to their sweetness, which balances the richness of strained yoghurt. We’ve infused the tomato vine flavour into a green oil for an extra layer of fresh, herbaceous flavour, and the dish is finished off with crunchy dukkah breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
- 500g of Greek yoghurt
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 lemon, zested, plus ½ juiced
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 15g of spinach leaves
- 100ml of olive oil
- 400g of Piccolo tomatoes on the vine, 300g kept on the vine, the rest picked, vines reserved
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- 150g of blanched hazelnuts
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- 30g of sourdough breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Method · 1 h
- Start the labneh the day before you want to serve the dish. Line a sieve with a clean cloth or j-cloth and set it over a bowl. Season the Greek yoghurt with salt, then transfer into the cloth. Tie the ends of the cloth together and leave to strain in the fridge overnight
- The next day, transfer the strained yoghurt into a bowl, discarding the liquid. Add the garlic, lemon zest and juice and olive oil and mix well. Season to taste then set aside in the fridge until needed
- For the tomato vine oil, set up a bowl of iced water and a pan of boiling water. Blanch the reserved tomato vines and spinach for 30 seconds in the boiling water, then transfer immediately to the iced water to stop it cooking and preserve the colour. Leave to cool
- Once cool, drain and squeeze the spinach and pat dry the vines to remove as much water as possible, then place in a blender with the oil. Blend on a high speed for 2 minutes, or until the spinach has completely broken down and becomes vividly green. Strain through a fine sieve lined with a clean cloth, then discard the solids (you can do this overnight, allowing the oil to drip through slowly, if you prefer)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Place the tomatoes in a roasting tray with the olive oil, garlic, chilli flakes and coriander and cumin seeds. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes tightly covered in foil, or until the tomatoes are very soft and beginning to wrinkle but still holding their shape, removing the foil for the final 5 minutes
- For the dukkah breadcrumbs, first toast the nuts in a dry pan over a medium heat for 3 minutes, or until golden, then remove to a pestle and mortar. Toast the spices until fragrant, then roughly crush with the nuts
- Toast the sourdough breadcrumbs until golden and crisp, then return the nuts and spice mix to the pan with the smoked paprika and a pinch of salt. Toss together then remove and leave to cool (this will make more than you need)
- Spread the labneh in a serving bowl or across a platter, making a well in the middle. Add the tomatoes and drizzle over their flavoured oil. Sprinkle over some of the dukkah breadcrumbs and finish with the tomato vine oil
