Ezme smashed cucumber with garlic coconut labneh
Ezme is a Turkish salsa, often eaten as part of a classic meze alongside meats and vegetables. Here it brings flavour and heat to a base of cooling smashed cucumber and thickened yoghurt. Smashing cucumber along its length to cracking point tenderises the cucumber a little, allowing it to absorb the flavours of the ezme while still retaining its crispness.
Top Tip - try to chop the ezme ingredients as finely as possible, for a more authentic texture.
hands-on time
15 minutes
30 minutes
total time
serves
6 as a side
Ingredients
Garlic coconut labneh
500g full-fat Greek-style coconut yoghurt
½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
finely grated zest of ½ lemon
3 cloves garlic, finely grated
Ezme smashed cucumber
2 telegraph cucumbers (approx. 500g)
1 tsp sea salt, plus extra to taste
3 medium tomatoes (400g)
1 small red onion, very finely chopped
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
½ red capsicum, cored, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tsp Aleppo chilli flakes
3 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tsp sumac
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped mint, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley, plus extra to serve
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
juice of ½ lemon, to taste
1 spring onion, sliced, to serve
Method
Prepare the labneh the day prior. Place the yoghurt and sea salt in a bowl and mix to combine. Line a sieve with doubled cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Pour the salted yoghurt into the cheesecloth, fold the corners over to cover and place a gentle weight on top (e.g. a mug or block of butter). Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours (or up to 3 days) to allow some liquid to strain from the yoghurt.
For the ezme smashed cucumber, place the two cucumbers on a solid work surface and using a rolling pin (or similar), smash along the length of the cucumbers until they crack open on the sides. Cut into 2-3cm chunks and place in a bowl with the sea salt. Toss to coat and set aside for 20 minutes. On a large chopping board, grate the whole tomatoes against a box grater and discard the skins you are left with in your hand. Add the chopped onion, chilli, and capsicum to the board with the tomato and finely chop together, as small as possible. Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl and add the remaining ingredients, stir through to combine and add lemon juice and sea salt to taste. Drain the excess liquid from the salted cucumber. Pour the ezme over the cucumber and toss to coat.
To finish the labneh, when ready to serve, bring the corners of the cheesecloth together and twist to squeeze out any extra liquid. Transfer the thickened yoghurt to a bowl and add the olive oil, lemon zest, and garlic, whisking until smooth.
To serve, spoon the labneh onto the base of a large serving platter, spreading it out into a large disc with the back of a spoon. Pile the ezme smashed cucumber on top of the labneh, discarding any excess liquid, and sprinkle with extra chopped flat leaf parsley, mint and the sliced spring onion. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until needed.