Skordalia Recipe

Greek cuisine has very ancient origins and was mainly based on poor agriculture. Founded on the "Mediterranean triad" made up of wheat, olive oil and wine, it has given the world an infinite number of recipes based on simple and healthy products.

As we explained to you in a previous article dedicated to the Cretan Dakos , the Crete island was the example for a cuisine based on the products that the earth gave to menrich in vegetables, herbs and various types of flour.

Vegetables in Greek cuisine today represent a wide choice of dishes and are used for many recipes.

Today we focus on one of the countless sauces that are usually served as "mezedes" the classic Greek appetizers that we like so much. This in particular in addition to being very good to eat with the classic Greek pita, it is divinely accompanied with fried food, we are talking about the Skordalià made with garlic (in Greek skordo means garlic).

It is a kind of pure 'prepared with different versions, one based on potatoes, the other based on walnuts, but let's say that over time other alternatives have also been proposed, such as with beets.

We want to give you the recipes of the classic and timeless Skordalià. Garlic is one of the main elements of this tasty dish with decidedly strong tones given the type of bulb vegetable used that will surely not benefit your social life, but as my husband Alberto says, if you love me you will bear this for once

Potato Skordalià
Ingredients
750 gr of potatoes
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil (7/8 spoons)
White wine vinegar (2 tablespoons)
Salt and black pepper
to garnish fresh basil or black olives

Boil the potatoes with the peel preferably so as to avoid first of all that they absorb too much water and secondly to lose the vitamins and minerals. When they are cooked, drain them but set aside some cooking water. In a blender put the oil, the cloves of garlic, the vinegar a little salt and a little black pepper. You will need to obtain a homogeneous cream. With a potato masher, make the potatoes into a pulp and add the emulsion, mixing everything well. If it turns out to be too thick, add a little cooking water to achieve the consistency you prefer. Garnish with some fresh basil leaves or some black olives (I like it with a couple of olives in the center).

Skordalià of walnuts
Ingredients
100 gr of walnuts
4 or 5 slices of bread (crumb or white bread)
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil (7/8 spoons)
White wine vinegar (2 tablespoons)
salt
Depending on the taste, walnuts can be used with or without peel (I always prefer them, I peel them). In a mortar, if you have it, a blender is also fine (the mortar is better because it doesn't heat up like the appliance) . Wet the bread with a little water but not too much in the sense don't make it too watery to soften it. Put the garlic cloves and a little salt starting to pound, add the walnuts and the squeezed bread until everything becomes like a mush. Gently stir in the oil and vinegar and continue stirring until everything is well mixed. If it turns out to be too dense, add a little water to achieve the consistency you prefer.

I love potato Skordalià when I eat fried vegetables or fried fish, while I like nut skordalià with grilled meat.

A quick and easy recipe to prepare if, upon returning from your holidays in Greece, you will be homesick and certainly to taste when you are guests in our beloved land and, as always, Kaly orexi or filos mou (good appetite my friends)!