“This labneh recipe is a great get-ahead dish, as it can be made at least one day in advance. If you can't be bothered to boil the beetroot, buy it ready-cooked and simply drain, season and serve. ”
Wrap the Greek yoghurt in a clean J-cloth, fasten with string and hang it over a bowl for about 2 hours to strain it.
Meanwhile, make the pickled shallots. Peel the shallots and finely slice into rings. In a bowl, combine the sugar and ½ a teaspoon of sea salt with the vinegar, stirring until dissolved. Add the shallots and leave to stand for 45 minutes, stirring every so often.
Unwrap the strained yoghurt and tip it into a clean bowl. Stir in the tahini and 1 teaspoon of salt. If you’re making this in advance, cover and store in the fridge at this point.
Wash and trim the beetroots, then cook them in a pan of boiling salted water for 30 to 35 minutes, or until tender. Drain, cool then peel and chop into bite-sized chunks.
When ready to serve, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan, throw in the beets, then add 1 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper.
Pan-roast over a medium–high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until heated through and well coated in oil and seasoning.
To assemble the dish pick and finely chop the parsley leaves. Spread the labneh on a serving plate and top with the beets, pickled shallots, toasted pine nuts and parsley, then serve.
Tips
Make sure to plate up this dish at the very last minute, otherwise the beets will bleed and stain the labneh.