Skordalia is a potent, but delicious Greek dip or sauce with a rich velvety texture, healthy and full of antioxidants from the garlic and olive oil (and walnuts, if you use them). Skordalia can be made with potatoes, bread, or with a combination of walnuts (or sometimes almonds) and bread. Potatoes will give you a smoother consistency, while the bread skordalia will be a bit grainier. More of a paste than a sauce, skordalia is wonderful over fish, served with vegetables, spread on bread like an appetizer, or as a side dish with poultry.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound of potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
7-8 cloves garlic
1 cup olive oil
1/2 – 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or lemon juice), to taste
Salt, to taste
METHOD:
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook potatoes until soft. Do not overcook!
When potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander. Place drained potatoes in a large mixing bowl and mix using a hand mixer until smooth. Set aside.
Using a food processor, process the garlic cloves with a bit of salt until it is a paste. (Alternately, you can also use a large mortar and pestle.) Drizzle half of the olive oil into the food processor bowl and process until the garlic is a smooth paste. Add the garlic paste to the potato and mix with a wooden spoon.
Gradually add the rest of the olive oil to the potato mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until the oil is absorbed.
Season to taste with salt. Add a bit of red wine vinegar (or lemon juice) to taste, and mix well.
Skordalia with Bread
Follow the same recipe above, but instead of using potatoes, use 10 ounces of stale bread (without the crust), soaked in water and a little vinegar. Remove the bread from the water and squeeze well to remove excess moisture. Tear into pieces and work the mixture with the garlic paste with a fork or with your hands until it is well combined. Then add the olive oil gradually.
Skordalia with Walnuts
INGREDIENTS:
4-5 garlic cloves
2 1/2 ounces walnuts, finely ground
1 large slice stale bread
3/4 cup olive oil
Red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
Salt to taste
METHOD:
In a food processor process the garlic cloves with a bit of salt until it is a paste.
Add the walnuts to the garlic paste and mix well.
Soak the bread (without the crust in water and vinegar) and then squeeze well.
Add the soaked bread to the walnuts and garlic mixture. Process until smooth. Add olive oil gradually until olive oil is absorbed. Add a bit of red wine vinegar or lemon juice to taste.
