Bakaliaros Skordalia Recipes

SKORDALIA (GREEK POTATO AND GARLIC DIP)

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 2 inches and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool slightly.
• Rub the skins off the potatoes and discard them. Coarsely chop the potatoes and puree them through a food mill or ricer into a medium bowl.
• Meanwhile, on a cutting board, lightly sprinkle the garlic with a generous pinch of the salt and smash it into a fine paste with the side of a cook's knife.
• In a food processor, combine the garlic, almonds, and oil and puree into a paste. Mix the oil mixture into the potatoes until incorporated; then mix in the 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon salt, water, lemon juice, and vinegar and season with pepper, to taste. Serve.

BAKALIAROS SKORDALIA

Steps:

• The salted cod fish must be soaked in water for AT LEAST 24 hours, preferably 48 hours before cooking. This is necessary to leach out the salt. Change the water 2-3 times in a 24-hour period. If this is not done, the fish will be so salty that it will not be edible!
• Remove the skin and any bones from the cod and discard. Flake the cod.
• In a bowl place the flour, parsley, beer and mix. Add the water gradually until the batter is thick. With a spoon mix in the meringue. Refrigerate for at least an hour before battering fish.
• Mix the cod with the batter.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
• Spoon the battered cod mix and fry in batches until golden brown.
• Mash the potatoes with a fork. In a blender add the walnuts, garlic cloves, olive oil and blend to a paste. Add to the mashed potatoes, season with salt add the vinegar and stir gently. (You can omit the walnuts if you prefer your skordalia plain)
• Serve the cod fritters with the garlic mash.

ATHENA'S BAKALIAROS ME SKORTHALIA (FRIED COD WITH GARLIC SAUCE)

Steps:

• If using dry salt cod: Soak in water for 12 hours or overnight (in the refrigerator if the weather is warm), changing the water 4-6 times. Scrape off scales and remove visible bones, if any. If using frozen desalinated cod: Defrost and scrape off scales, if any. (Frozen steaks usually have no visible bones.)
• Make the Skorthalia ahead of time. Peel the potatoes and boil in salted water until well done (easily pierced with a fork). Sprinkle with pepper and mash.
• In the blender bowl of the food processor (or with a hand mixer), purée the potatoes and garlic until well mixed, about 30-45 seconds.
• Still puréeing, slowly add the olive oil and vinegar, alternating between them until the mixture is smooth. Skorthalia should be creamy and thick.
• If it gets too thick, add a little cold water (not more than 1/4 cup).
• When ready to cook, cut the fish into 1 1/2 to 2 inch slices.
• In a bowl, add the flour slowly to the water, stirring briskly with a wire whisk or fork until the flour has dissolved. The batter will be fairly thin.
• Dip the fish into the batter and fry in hot oil, about 6-10 minutes per side (depending on the thickness) until dark golden.
• Serve with one fourth of skorthalia garlic puree mixture per person.