This incredibly simple but delicious dip is from Alison Roman’s new cookbook “Nothing Fancy”. For those of you that haven’t heard of Alison, she writes for NYTimes Cooking along with Bon Appetite and her first book was “Dining In”. She is the person behind “the cookies” and “the stew” (if you don’t know what this means just google it) and her friends call this “the dip”. I have served it American style with potato and bagel chips but it is equally good with crudites, crackers or bread.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 4 spring onions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander or chives
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 500gm labne, thick yoghurt or sour cream
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Directions
Heat the olive oil, spring onion, chilli flakes in a small pot or frypan over medium – low heat.
Cook, swirling occasionally until the spring onion and chilli flakes start to visually and audible sizzle and frizzle and the chilli turns the olive oil to a bright orange. (The bright orange part didn’t happen for me, not sure why). Then add the coriander or chives and swirl to combine.
Remove from the heat and leave until cool enough to taste, then season with salt and pepper.
Combine the labne (or whatever you are using) and lemon juice in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon into a bowl and swirl in the sizzle spring onion mixture. Garnish with extra coriander or chives.
The sizzled spring onion mix can be made up to a week ahead, wrapped and refrigerated. Labne can be seasoned also a week ahead, covered and refrigerated. Combine the two just before serving.
This dip reminds me of a fresher, spicier, nicer version of the packet french onion dip everyone made in the 70’s. Here I have used sour cream and the dip is a little thin for my liking. If you can get your hands on labne I would use that or better yet make your own!. Next time I know I will be. If you decide to give this delicious recipe a go, leave me a comment to let me know if your oil turned the fiery orange that Alison indicates. Enjoy. Sheryl x
