Lemon-Labneh Possets With Meringue and Burnt Lemon Powder
Updated June 6, 2024

- Total Time
- 3 hours, plus chilling
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound/450 grams Greek yogurt
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- 1tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 to 2 lemons)
- ¾cup plus 2 teaspoons/200 grams lemon juice (from about 4 to 5 lemons)
- 1¼cups/250 grams granulated sugar
- 2¾cups/650 grams heavy cream (double cream)
- 7ounces/200 grams labneh (homemade or store-bought)
- ½cup plus 1 tablespoon/115 grams granulated sugar
- 2egg whites (65 grams), from 2 large eggs
- ⅛teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2unwaxed (or well-scrubbed) lemons
For the Labneh (optional)
For the Posset
For the Meringue
For the Burnt Lemon Powder
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the labneh: Add yogurt and salt to a bowl and mix well to combine. Line a medium sieve with a piece of cheesecloth or a clean tea towel with plenty of overhang. Add yogurt, and pull the overhang up and over the yogurt to encase it. Set the sieve over a bowl and place a weight on top. (A couple of cans — or tins — will do.) Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours. When ready, discard the liquid collected and store the labneh in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (You should have about 9 ounces/250 grams of labneh.) If using store-bought labneh, skip this step.
- Step 2
Measure out a scant ½ cup (about 7 ounces/200 grams) of labneh for the possets, and reserve the rest for breakfast or to spread onto toast.
- Step 3
Prepare the possets: Combine lemon zest, juice and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Set aside once the sugar has dissolved. In a separate medium saucepan, heat heavy cream (double cream) over medium until it just gently starts to bubble, 7 to 10 minutes. Off the heat, pour all the cream into the lemon mixture and whisk until combined, then whisk in labneh until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a jug with a spout. Divide mixture across 8 glasses. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you’re getting ahead.
- Step 4
Prepare the meringue: Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius. Spread sugar onto a baking sheet (baking tray) and heat for 10 minutes, until very hot but not melted at all. A couple of minutes before it’s ready, add egg whites and cream of tartar to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or alternatively, use an electric hand mixer), and beat on medium until frothy, about 1 minute. Remove sugar from oven and turn down the temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit/120 degrees Celsius. Turn mixer speed to low and slowly stream in the warm sugar until it’s all incorporated. Turn the speed back up to high, and beat until glossy and stiff peaks form, another 5 to 6 minutes. Line a large (roughly 16-by-12-inch/40-by-30-centimeter) baking sheet (baking tray) with parchment paper and use a spatula to thinly spread the mixture onto the lined tray, so it’s about 14 by 10 inches/35 by 25 centimeters. Bake for 80 to 90 minutes, until completely dried out. Set aside to cool, about 30 minutes, then roughly break apart into random shards.
- Step 5
Prepare the burnt lemon powder: Turn oven up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/240 degrees Celsius. Use a small, sharp knife to cut the peel off the lemons in long strips. (Don’t worry if you get some of the pith.) You want about 1 ounce/30 grams in total. Transfer strips to a small, parchment-lined baking sheet (baking tray). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until completely dry and almost burned. (They’ll shrivel significantly.) Transfer to a pestle and mortar to finely grind, then pass through a sieve, to catch any large pieces. (Discard these.) You should be left with about 1½ teaspoons.
- Step 6
Segment the lemons: Using the small, sharp knife, trim off any excess peel, then cut between the membranes to release the segments. Roughly chop each segment into 2 to 3 pieces. (Use them all if you like things a little sharp, or keep any extra in the fridge for a vinaigrette or salsa verde.)
- Step 7
To serve, top possets with lemon segments, a sprinkling of burnt lemon powder and a few meringue shards, serving any extra meringue to dip alongside.
Private Notes
Comments
Yes, don't dedicate oven time and fuel to making the burnt lemon powder. Just save the lemon peels, strips etc. and pop in the oven when you are cooking other items. I make roasted red peppers and or roast cherry tomatoes often. Next time I'll add an extra pan with the lemon strips and things can all cook at the some time. We all need to have in mind how to use less fuel and start cooking smarter to save energy.
If you have the foresight to let some lemon zest strips dry on the kitchen counter for a few days, they're easy to toast in a pan. I routinely zest and dry lemons that I'm using for juice.
Fwiw, the enormous amt. of fuel used to burn the peels probably exceeds the energy expenditure related to not using the entire lemon (if one were to take the peels to the local compost-collection spot, where some energy would be used to transport the end result). Also fwiw, my local organic market sells, in its bulk section, dried and chopped-fine lemon peel; if you can find that, you might char it in a skillet over high heat for far less time, using far less fuel.
There was another recipe for posset - by either Melissa or David Tanis. Much simpler and very delicious. What happened to that recipe @NYT?
Delicious BUT - the meringue burned after 60 min in the oven. 50 min is perfect — check then !! Ruined a batch of meringue for this.
I, too, recently enjoyed this wondrous dessert at NOPI and agree: it is just one of best desserts ever. I look forward to trying this recipe.
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