Mobile Logo of Great British Chefs

Mastic labneh mousse, pistachio kataifi and rhubarb sorbet

by Ayesha Kalaji
  1. Mastic labneh mousse, pistachio kataifi and rhubarb sorbet
Item 1 of 1
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Not yet rated

Ayesha Kalaji balances floral, sour and herbaceous top notes with buttery and nutty bass notes in her labneh dessert at restaurant Queen of Cups. A rhubarb sorbet is infused with sour dried hibiscus. A labneh mousse has ground mastic pearls through it, offering a fresh, crisp and woody flavour. The pistachio kataifi pastry has both butter and pistachio butter through it for an intensely rich and nutty finish. The dish is finished with a rose tuile, a pistachio brittle and compressed rhubarb that maintains a soft bite.

Not feeling this? See related recipes.

Ayesha says: “LIVE LAUGH LABNEH. As I may or may not have mentioned, I LOVE LABNEH. And it is a delight in a dessert – almost cheesecake like in texture, but tangy and sharp. It pairs perfectly with rose and seasonal rhubarb.”

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

COMPRESSED RHUBARB

  • 250g of rhubarb, cut into 1cm pieces
  • 250g of caster sugar

RHUBARB SORBET

LABNEH MOUSSE

  • 150g of double cream
  • 1 tbsp of icing sugar
  • 2 mastic pearls, ground to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar then removed with the help of a pastry brush
  • 150g of labneh

PISTACHIO KATAIFI

PISTACHIO BRITTLE

ROSE TUILE

  • 100g of isomalt sugar
  • 1 tsp dried rose petals

TO SERVE

SAVE RECIPE

Equipment

  • Vacuum bag and machine
  • Sous vide or water bath
  • Spice grinder or pestle and mortar

Method

1
Start the dish 2 days before you want to serve it. For the compressed rhubarb, combine the rhubarb and caster sugar in an airtight container and leave to macerate in the fridge for 2 days (you can leave this up to 3 days)
  • 250g of rhubarb, cut into 1cm pieces
  • 250g of caster sugar
2

Transfer the macerated rhubarb into a vacuum packing bag, then vacuum seal. Cook in a water bath at 60°C for around 30 minutes, or until just tender, then quickly place the bag in a bowl of iced-water to cool it down – this will retain some bite to the rhubarb. If you don’t have a vacuum packing machine, you can cook in a very low oven for around 30 minutes. Chill in the fridge until needed

3
For the rhubarb sorbet, bring the water, sugar and liquid glucose to the boil. Add the dried hibiscus flowers, remove from the heat and leave to infuse as it cools (around 10 minutes). Strain through a sieve, discarding the hibiscus, then chill until needed
  • 110ml of water
  • 80g of caster sugar
  • 80g of liquid glucose
  • 2g of dried hibiscus
4
To cook the rhubarb for the sorbet, place the rhubarb in a pan with a lid with a splash of water. Allow it to cook and steam on a low heat for around 15 minutes, then remove from the heat to cool slightly
  • 275g of rhubarb, cut into 5cm lengths
5
Transfer the rhubarb to a blender, along with the chilled syrup, xanthan gum and lemon juice. Blend until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Churn in an ice cream machine and freeze
6
For the labneh mousse, place the double cream, icing sugar and mastic powder in a large bowl and whip to soft peaks. Lightly fold through the labneh using a spatula – avoid overworking it as it can split. Transfer to a container and chill in the fridge until needed
  • 150g of double cream
  • 1 tbsp of icing sugar
  • 2 mastic pearls, ground to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar then removed with the help of a pastry brush
  • 150g of labneh
7
For the pistachio kataifi, preheat the oven to 175°C. Toss the kataifi with the melted butter and bake for 12-15 minutes, until evenly golden, turning occasionally, then remove and allow to cool
8
To make the pistachio brittle, first make a dry caramel with the sugar. Place the sugar in a small heavy-based pan and melt on a medium-low heat, then cook to a deep amber colour
  • 100g of caster sugar
9
Remove from the heat and quickly and carefully fold in the pistachios to coat evenly. Pour onto a nonstick mat or a baking sheet lined with baking paper and allow to cool completely
10
Break the nuts up into pieces or blitz in a food processor to a coarse crumb. Set aside at room temperature
11
Once the kataifi is cool, mix it with the pistachio butter, icing sugar and a pinch of salt. Set aside at room temperature until needed
12
For the rose tuile, preheat the oven to 100°C. Place the isomalt and rose petals into a food processor and blitz until finely chopped and combined. Using a sieve, sift the mixture over a non-stick baking mat in a thin, even layer. Place in the oven, immediately turn up the heat to 200°C, and cook for 3 minutes (do not use any fan-assisted function on the oven, otherwise it will get blown around the oven). Leave to cool, then break into shards
  • 100g of isomalt sugar
  • 1 tsp dried rose petals, dried
13
To serve, bring the sorbet out of the freezer and the mousse out of the fridge to temper slightly
14
Spoon the kataifi into the base of the bowl. Add the rhubarb. Top with a quenelle of labneh mousse and a smaller quenelle of sorbet
15
Sprinkle over the pistachio brittle, dried rose petals, dianthus flowers and extra pistachios, if needed. Finish with the rose tuile shards
First published in 2026
Ayesha Kalaji

Under the shadow of Glastonbury Tor, Ayesha Khalaji’s gastropub Queen of Cups serves Middle Eastern-inspired dishes interpreted through her own unique lens – resulting in vibrant, creative cooking that’s jam-packed with in-your-face flavour.

Get in touch

Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.

You may also like

Load more

SITES

Great British ChefsGreat Italian ChefsGreat Polish ChefsGreat Spanish Chefs
GBC Studio

Subscribe to the
Great British Chefs Newsletter

Terms and conditions
© Great British Chefs 2026