Skordalia, Greek Garlic and Potato Dip
Skordalia takes its name from skordo, garlic, and it does not apologize for it: this is a dip built to be bracingly garlicky, the traditional companion to fried salt cod and beets on Greek tables. There are two schools, one thickened with bread and one with potato or nuts; this uses potato and ground almonds together, which gives it body and richness at once. The usual recipe beats in a great deal of olive oil, but a boiled potato is already creamy, and its own starchy cooking water loosens it to the right texture with nothing added. Vinegar and lemon sharpen it and let the garlic sing without salt. Use good fresh garlic, since it is unmistakably the point.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1/3 cup Almonds, blanched
- 2 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice, fresh
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Boil the potato cubes in unsalted water until a knife slides through with no resistance, about 15 minutes. Scoop out and save a cup of the cooking water before you drain them, because that starchy water is what will loosen the dip without any oil.
- While the potatoes cook, grind the blanched almonds to a fine meal in a food processor, then add the garlic and grind again to a paste. The almonds are the traditional richness in this style of skordalia, standing in for the stream of olive oil most recipes pour in.
- Add the hot drained potato to the almond and garlic paste and pulse just until combined, no longer. Potato turns gluey the instant it is overworked, so stop the moment it comes together, or mash it in by hand if you would rather be safe.
- Loosen it with the vinegar, lemon juice, and enough of the reserved potato water to reach a thick, spoonable dip. Add the acid gradually and taste as you go; skordalia is meant to be sharp and aggressively garlicky, and the vinegar and lemon are what carry it with no salt.
- Grind in the black pepper and let it rest 15 minutes so the raw garlic mellows slightly into the potato. Serve at room temperature with roasted beets, steamed greens, or raw vegetables, the classic Greek partners for it.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 130 calories, 4 g protein, 3 g fiber, 20 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
