Cherry labneh summer pudding

Making your own labneh is easy, you just need to strain some yogurt for 4-6 hrs or overnight. Mix the yogurt with a pinch of salt, tip it into a piece of muslin or a very fine sieve and let any liquid slowly drain out of it into a bowl. If you are using muslin you can help this along by folding the muslin up around the yogurt and twisting the top to squeeze out the moisture. The salty whey left behind can be used as a stock for soups or stews, or in baking.

Combine the cherries, orange zest, vanilla pod and sugar in a pan and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat, cooking for 6-8 mins or until the cherries start to soften and release their juices. Tip into a sieve set over a bowl and leave to cool completely.

Beat together the cream, honey and orange blossom water until they form very soft peaks. Add 250g of the labneh and gently fold through until just combined. Discard the orange peel and vanilla bean from the cherries, firmly pressing out any extra cherry juice, setting the juice aside. Roughly chop 350g of the cherries, then fold into the cream mixture.

Line the domed mixing bowl with clingfilm, leaving enough to hang over the sides. Set aside 200ml of the cherry juice for use later. Dip a brioche slice into the remaining juice and use to layer the bottom of the bowl – you might need to tear beforehand to fit neatly. Add a little less than a third of the cream-cherry mixture, using a palette knife or spatula to level out. Repeat with the brioche, tearing and dipping before layering with the cream mixture. If you need a little more cherry juice, take a few extra tbsp from the reserved juice. You should have three layers of the cream mixture, finishing with a final fourth layer of soaked brioche. Lay the overhanging clingfilm over the top, then put a plate on top. Rest a heavy tin on top of the plate to weight it down, then chill for at least 4 hrs.

Combine the remaining cherry juice with an equal amount of pomegranate juice. Gently heat in a small pan, add 2 tsp of the arrowroot mixture and boil, whisking continuously, until thickened – it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s still a little thin, add a drop or more of the arrowroot, stirring continuously, until you have a thickened, glossy sauce. Leave to cool.

Before serving, invert the pudding onto a large plate, removing the clingfilm. Pour over the reserved sauce and serve with lashings of cream and the left-over cherries.