By Yotam Ottolenghi
- Total Time
- 3 hours, plus chilling
- Rating
- 4(221)
- Notes
- Read community notes
“Simple ingredients made super special” could not be more true of these lemon possets, which are well worth the effort for their perfect combination of creamy, tart, sweet and crispy. A posset is a quintessential British dessert and has a similar consistency to that of a custard or pudding, but acid (lemon juice in this case) is used to set the base as opposed to egg yolks or cornstarch. There are a number of shortcuts you could take, including using store-bought labneh or replacing it with an equal amount of thick-set créme fraîche. You can also use store-bought meringues, crushing them lightly to sprinkle on top. The burnt lemon powder is an added bonus and a great way to use up lemon peel that you may have otherwise discarded. You can use this powder in a number of inventive ways, including sprinkling it over hummus or some roasted vegetables for added depth. If you are making your own labneh, be sure to start the day before.
Featured in: A Delicate Dessert That Puts the Whole Lemon to Use
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Ingredients
Yield:8 possets
- 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
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
596 calories; 35 grams fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 65 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 201 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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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.
Ratings
4
out of 5
221
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Cooking Notes
Paula's Recipes
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.
Sue
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.
DW99
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.
Vivian
I have, for years, been zesting lemons, zapping the rind for a minute or so in the microwave, and keeping it in a jar in my spice drawer. Lovely to crumble over whatever dish needs a touch of citrus.
me
Use up the salty whey that drains during the lebneh-making process, don't discard it. The salted whey can be used in soups or stocks, in bread making, or as a liquid to cook grains. You can even start a lacto-ferment with it - well, okay, that's a bit advanced. But in the spirit of the article that accompanies this recipe: use it up and don't waste it!
Brenda Stoddard
How about a toaster oven? I have a good one and use it for all small baking jobs that require high heat.
Marie
So on my count, this uses about 6 or 7 lemons and there is still a lot of lemon peel/ zest unused. We are also tossing 2 egg yolks and all that whey from making the labneh, and it is salty, so no reuse of it there. I mean it sounds like a great dessert, but the article's greener than thou seems a bit misplaced, really.
mjan
It helps the sugar dissolve completely and partially cooks the egg whites, resulting in a shiny stable meringue.
Cathy
Sounds interesting, different, and kinda fun to make. And I love everything lemon. Just not sure if using the oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes is worth it for for 1 1/2 teaspoon of burnt lemon powder (?) But I'm game!
Jo
Sorry, but it's really not.
deborah
There was another recipe for posset - by either Melissa or David Tanis. Much simpler and very delicious. What happened to that recipe @NYT?
Ben Miller
Delicious BUT - the meringue burned after 60 min in the oven. 50 min is perfect — check then !! Ruined a batch of meringue for this.
kk
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.
Dunngood
I had the pleasure of eating at Yotam Ottelenghi's London restaurant NOPI just last week and had this Lemon Posset. It was without a doubt the best dessert I have ever eaten. An amazing combination of creamy as well as tart! I am thrilled to find this recipe so I can recreate at home!
Savilac
Delicious recipe. I made this and it was amazing. You don’t really need the burnt lemon peel for taste, but it makes it look beautiful.
Greyds
Don't discard the whey! Remember your original thesis about food waste, eh? Whey is protein rich, add it to soups or stews or use it in baking.
Miselaineous
I've made posset for years w/o labneh and it's delicious and silken. 16oz heavy cream, 2/3 C sugar, 1t lemon zest, 5T lemon juice or more to taste. Why add labneh?
JMR
This recipe is very similar to Eton Mess; lemons instead of strawberries, labneh instead of whipped cream. But, it is the same principle and not as original as it is made to appear.
Jo
Sorry, but it's really not.
sol sepsenwol
I can see caramelizing the sugar in the oven, but it is only heated then added to the egg whites to make the meringues. And given the inaccuracy of oven thermostats, using parchment paper at 450F is cutting it close, no?
Julie
If you start with unwaxed or well scrubbed lemons you end up using all of them with no leftover parts- zest what you need for the posset, peel what you need for the burnt lemon powder, juice what you need and segment the rest!
For2
I don’t understand the salt in the Labneh. I make homemade yogurt all the time and drain for a long time. I save the whey and bake with it. Salt? Somebody help me.
Julie
The salt is necessary to balance all the sugar that is in the remainder of the recipe. So, if you didn't want to salt the labneh you could add a bit of salt (1/4 tsp or so) to the cream component.
DAO
You can also heat the cream with the sugar and then just pour the lemon juice and zest, don’t need to heat lemon juice.
Yvette
@me: if you use the salty whey in bread-making, do you add salt to the dough? I'm thinking about sourdough...
Sophie
I would add more, average loaf I've seen is 6-7 grams
ggm
It is indeed pretty amazing that this recipe that's calling for no waste produces extra whey, egg yolks, and oven power.
Marie
So on my count, this uses about 6 or 7 lemons and there is still a lot of lemon peel/ zest unused. We are also tossing 2 egg yolks and all that whey from making the labneh, and it is salty, so no reuse of it there. I mean it sounds like a great dessert, but the article's greener than thou seems a bit misplaced, really.
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