Greek Garlic Spread Recipes

GREEK TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Stir together yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl. Add lemon zest, dill, salt, and pepper; whisk until smooth. Pour into a serving dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

SKORDALIA (GARLIC DIP)

Steps:

• Boil the potato in a small pot of salted water.
• Add the 2 cloves of garlic and sea salt to a blender or food processor, and pulse until it becomes a thick paste. Add more garlic if desired. Squeeze the water from the bread, and drain the potato, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the bread and potato to the garlic paste along with the almonds and half the lemon juice. Process until the mixture is well combined, but still slightly coarse in texture.
• While the processor is running, start to slowly pour the olive oil into the mixture. If it is too thick, add a spoonful of the reserved potato water and continue to add the oil. Once the mixture becomes lighter in color and thinner in texture, stop and taste your creation. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add a little of the remaining lemon juice. Taste again, and if you are lucky enough to have gotten it just right, put into a bowl or jar and reserve in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• If the skordalia seems unbalanced, use your taste buds to steer you in the right direction. If you want it more pungent, add more garlic. If the garlic flavor is overpowering, add a few drops of lemon juice. Season with more salt. Blend. Taste again. Repeat as many times as needed to get it where you want it. Skordalia needs to taste good to you, not to me.

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.

SKORTHALIA (SKORDALIA): GREEK GARLIC DIP AND SAUCE

Steps:

• Add the salt to a large pot of water. Peel the potatoes and boil in the salted water until well done and are easily pierced with a fork. Place in a colander to drain.
• Return the potatoes to the pot and sprinkle with pepper and mash to combine.
• In the blender bowl of a food processor (or with a hand mixer ), puree the potatoes and garlic until well mixed, about 30 to 45 seconds. Still pureeing, slowly add the olive oil and vinegar, alternating between them, tasting as you go, until the mixture is smooth. Skorthalia should be creamy and thick. If it gets too thick, add a little cold water (but not more than 1/4 cup).
• Skordalia is a matter of taste, some prefer a mild garlic taste, while others prefer a strong garlic taste. If the taste is too strong, increase the number of potatoes a bit. If the taste is not strong enough, increase the garlic.

SKORDALIA (GREEK GARLIC AND POTATO SPREAD) RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Set cubed potatoes in a colander and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Transfer to a large saucepan and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Season water with salt until it is salty like tears . Bring water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until a knife easily pierces potatoes with no resistance, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes in colander, then rinse with hot running water for 30 seconds.
• Using a potato ricer or a food mill with the finest disk, mash potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Alternatively, thoroughly mash potatoes with a potato masher in a large mixing bowl.

SKORDALIA (GREEK GARLIC POTATO DIP)

Steps:

• Peel and quarter the potatoes and add to a saucepan with enough cold salted water to cover by 1 inch. Place over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and continue to simmer until potatoes are tender, but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While potatoes are cooking, add garlic and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a mortar and pestle. Crush into a fine paste and reserve.
• Drain potatoes, reserving some of the cooking water to thin the dip out with later if desired. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the potatoes to a mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher or potato ricer until smooth and lump free. Stir in garlic paste. Add lemon juice and vinegar and stir in with the masher.
• Whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil in 3 or 4 additions. Add cayenne and more salt if needed. Pass dip through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Serve at room temperature, garnished with olive oil and oregano.

GREEK GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Cover potatoes with water in 3-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drain, rinse with cold water and mash thoroughly.
• Meanwhile, put garlic and salt in a large wooden bowl and mash with a pestle until a paste.
• Gradually add potatoes and mash them with garlic.
• If mixture is still hot, let cool 15 minutes, then add egg yolk, if using, and heartily mash in with a wooden spoon.
• Alternating olive oil with lemon juice and vinegar, gradually add both to potato mixture, mashing.
• Add pepper, and using a fork mix briskly until very smooth.
• Mix in more olive oil(or even some water), a little at a time, if sauce is too thick to use as a dip.
• Spoon into a container and store, covered, in refrigerator. It will keep for about 1 week.
• Bring to room temperature several hours before serving.
• Spoon into a bowl and serve with fresh vegetables and/or pita for dipping. Enjoy!

GARLIC FETA CHEESE SPREAD

Steps:

• Combine together in food processor or by hand.
• Cover and chill for 30 minutes.