Tuesday 12 July 2011

Thoughts on Yoghurt (and Pina Coladas)

Yoghurt.  A substance with which I have a somewhat tricky relationship.  For years I thought I hated it.  Not surprising after a primary school incident in which I was held down by the class bully whilst she poured, or rather dollopped, thick, toffee-flavoured yoghurt over my head.  I swear I can still feel it sliding down my neck and smell the artificial sweetness mingling with and masking the sour milk stench…  For years I avoided the cultured goo – and then I discovered Greek yoghurt.  More precisely, I discovered Greek Yoghurt and Honey – the true food of the gods if ever there was one.  Thus began my love affair with thick creamy natural yoghurts what S calls my “weird yoghurt thing.” That is to say, I will eat different flavoured yoghurts but only if they are white in colour.  This means I will eat any Greek or natural yoghurt and am happy to top this with fresh fruit or a compote.  Muller Corners are fine (fruit varieties only, no “unnatural” flavours in my yoggies) but I will invariably eat only half the sauce and enjoy the plain yoghurt either au natural or with the merest hint of compote – the sight of S mixing the sauce into the virginal creamy white yoghurt quite turns my stomach!

My old aversion to yoghurt did not, at least, ever extend to using the substance in cooking.  I have long been a fan of tzatziki and raitas and the very first meal I ever cooked was a Lamb Tikka Massala (age 11) and I remember being quite sceptical by the instruction to add a few tablespoons of plain yoghurt.  When I did, I was transfixed and amazed by the way it changed to texture and spicing of the dish and from then on I was hooked!  Nowadays, a large pot of natural yoghurt is a staple feature of my fridge and I love to cook Indian and Middle-Eastern dishes where it is a strong feature.  Two of my current favourite recipes, both by Anjum Amand, feature yoghurt strongly and I would recommend these the anyone looking to expand their “curry” repertoire – these are:

Honey Roasted Spicy Leg of Lamb (one of the best things about this dish is the leftovers – stuffed into a pitta the next day.  Yum!)

When S and I first set up home together I began knocking up a very simple dessert on a regular basis which consisted of tinned peaches soaked in amaretto then layered in a tall glass with dollops of natural yoghurt and topped with a generous covering of crushed amaretti biscuits.  Simple, elegant and effective!  After a while I made the big leap of faith to substitute my beloved plain yoghurt with a vanilla variety – something that I had previously eyed with suspicion…  To be surprise and delight, it worked even better in this dish (although I still can’t bring myself to eat it on its own).

Recently I have seen a plethora of adverts for coconut yoghurts from various brands.  Given that coconut is one of my one true addictions in life, I was quite intrigued but also wary, still bearing my sweet yoghurt battle scars.  Knowing that S’s biggest weakness – and worse kept secrets – in life is a Pina Colada (to be honest, he just likes girly cocktails, the creamier the better and especially when they are adorned with umbrellas, fruit and sparklers – more of an event that a drink!) I decided to bite the yoghurty bullet and adapt my old faithful dessert to create a pina colada-esque sweet treat.  I soaked pineapple chunks in white rum for a few hours, then, as before, layered these with the coconut yoghurt.  This time, to complete the cocktail effect, I used margarita glasses and was quite pleased with the finished product!



Feeling it needed both crunch and sharpness to cut through the creaminess, I also crumbled a gingernut biscuit over the top (not pictured) and this worked well.  Okay, it’s not haute cuisine but as simple weekend treats go, I think this is pretty special and S absolutely LOVED it!  Obviously both this and the peach/amaretto concoction could easily be adapted for children by leaving out the alcohol.

And the coconut yoghurt?  I adored it and will definitely buy again.  But then, what else could have been expected, it is white, after all!