Thick, creamy, cool … and oh-so-garlic-y!
Not only is Tzatziki a great dip for pita bread or vegetables, it is the perfect accompaniment for grilled meats, Greek meatballs, kebobs, or phyllo-wrapped appetizers.
Tzatziki
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients:
½ of an English Cucumber, seeds removed and finely grated
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) Greek yogurt (2% or full-fat)
2 -3 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice of ½ of a fresh lemon
1 teaspoon (5 mL) red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons (10 mL) chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
Kosher or sea salt; freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Prepare cucumber by halving it lengthwise, and scraping out seeds (the seeds contain a great deal of moisture).
- Finely grate the cucumber; place in a bowl and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt over all. Let this sit for at least ½ hour.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix yogurt with the minced garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dill, and mint. Combine well.
- When the grated cucumber is ready, strain the juices from the grated cucumber with a sieve. Press down gently on the sieve to extract as much of the juice as possible. Then place the strained mixture on a clean kitchen towel. Wrap it up and wring out even more juice. This extra extracting will assist in keeping the tzatziki thick.
- Add the squeezed cucumber to the yogurt mixture and stir well to combine.
- Stir in the olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate at least one hour, or overnight.
Questions and comments are always welcome alex@chilipeppersandpears.com
