Yogurt added to hot dishes without stabilisation splits — the proteins coagulate and the whey separates, producing a grainy, curdled result. In Palestinian, Turkish, and Levantine cooking, yogurt is used extensively in hot applications — soups, braises, rice dishes — requiring either a stabilising agent (egg yolk, cornstarch) or a tempering technique to prevent splitting.
Full-fat yogurt stabilised with egg yolk or cornstarch before being added to a hot dish, or tempered by gradually adding hot liquid to the cold yogurt before incorporating. The stabilised yogurt can be brought to a simmer without curdling; the tempered yogurt can be added without temperature shock causing the proteins to seize.
Cooked yogurt adds a tangy, creamy richness to dishes that cream cannot replicate — the lactic acid brightness survives even cooking, adding a clean sourness beneath the richness. In a lamb braise finished with stabilised yogurt, the acid cuts the fat while the cream rounds the spice.
- Full-fat yogurt stabilises more easily than low-fat — the fat content buffers the protein network - Egg yolk stabilisation: one egg yolk per cup of yogurt, whisked in before adding to heat [VERIFY ratio] - Cornstarch stabilisation: one teaspoon cornstarch per cup, mixed cold, brings yogurt to simmer safely [VERIFY] - Tempering: add hot liquid to cold yogurt one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly, before adding the yogurt mixture back to the hot dish - Stir constantly after addition — standing yogurt in a hot dish will split even when stabilised
OTTOLENGHI JERUSALEM — Technique Entries OT-01 through OT-25