Skordalia
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Potatoes, peeled and boiled — 300 g (10.5 oz)
- Garlic cloves — 5
- Extra-virgin olive oil — 150 ml (2/3 cup)
- White wine vinegar — 30 ml (2 tbsp)
- Salt — 5 g (1 tsp)
- Warm water (as needed) — 60 ml (1/4 cup)
Method
- Boil potatoes until very tender, then rice or mash until smooth while still warm.
- Pound garlic with salt in a mortar and pestle until a smooth paste forms, or process in a food processor.
- Combine garlic paste with mashed potato.
- Gradually work in olive oil, alternating with splashes of vinegar and warm water, until a thick, smooth, spreadable
- consistency is reached.
- Adjust salt and vinegar to taste.
Cultural Background: A pungent garlic sauce thickened with potato, bread or almonds, skordalia is an ancient Greek preparation, traditionally served with fried salt cod (bakaliaros) on Palm Sunday and other Lenten occasions when meat is avoided.
Tips: • Using warm potatoes helps the sauce emulsify more smoothly with the oil. • Adjust the garlic quantity to taste — traditional versions are quite assertively garlicky.
Variations: • Use stale bread instead of potato for a lighter, more porous texture. • Use ground almonds or walnuts instead of potato for a nuttier, richer variation.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Reheating: Not applicable; served cold or at room temperature. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 110 kcal, 1 g protein, 10.5 g fat, 4 g carbohydrate per 30 g serving.
FAQs: What is skordalia traditionally served with? Fried salt cod (bakaliaros), boiled vegetables like beetroot, and fried courgette. Can I make it less garlicky? Yes, reduce the garlic to 2-3 cloves for a milder version, though the assertive garlic flavour is traditional.
- Potatoes, peeled and boiled — 300 g (10.5 oz)
- Garlic cloves — 5
- Extra-virgin olive oil — 150 ml (2/3 cup)
- White wine vinegar — 30 ml (2 tbsp)
- Salt — 5 g (1 tsp)
- Warm water (as needed) — 60 ml (1/4 cup)
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