Best Skorthalia Recipes

"SKORTHALIA" GREEK GARLIC DIP/SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Add the salt to a large pot of water. Peel the potatoes and boil in salted water until well done (easily pierced with a fork). Drain. Sprinkle the potatoes with pepper and mash.
• 2. In the blender bowl of the food processor (or with a hand mixer), purée the potatoes and garlic until well mixed, about 30-45 seconds. Still puréeing, slowly add the olive oil and vinegar, alternating between them, tasting as you go, until the mixture is smooth. Skorthalia should be creamy and thick. If it gets too thick, add a little cold water (not more than 1/4 cup).
• 3. To prepare by hand Mash potatoes with garlic. Drizzle in the olive oil and vinegar slowly, alternating between them, mashing well. Add pepper. This version may be grainier, but the taste is wonderful!
• 4. Note: Skordalia is a matter of taste. Some prefer a mild garlic taste, while others prefer a strong garlic taste. If the taste is too strong, adjust the quantities of potatoes or bread up a bit. If the taste is not strong enough, increase the garlic.
• 5. Additions In various regions of Greece, walnuts or almonds are added. If you like, add a cup of finely chopped walnuts or almonds to the food processor at the beginning, with the potatoes, and add the juice of a lemon to the liquids. The consistency will still be similar to thick ketchup but granular due to the nuts.

GREEK GARLIC SAUCE (SKORTHALIA)

Steps:

• Pound garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar until smooth.
• Add mashed potatoes and continue to pound and stir with pestle.
• Soak bread (crusts removed)in cold water and squeeze dry.
• Add to potatoes and garlic, pounding and stirring until smooth.
• Gradually add olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar, stirring vigorously.
• When smooth and light, add salt and pepper to taste.
• Chill in a covered bowl before using.
• Variation: Replace bread with 1/2 cup ground almonds or walnuts, or use 1 1/2 cups of ground almonds or walnuts instead of the potatoes and bread.
• Blender method: Put all ingredients in a blender and blend at moderate speed until ingredients are pulverised. Sure beats all that pounding!
• Increase speed for a few seconds until light and smooth. Do not blend for too long for the mixture heats and the oil separates.

SKORTHALIA

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth and chill in a small bowl.

SKORTHALIA - GREEK GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. In a mortar and pestle pound the garlic with 1/2 tsp salt, until smooth.
• 2. Add the potatoes and continue to pound and stir with pestle, until smooth.
• 3. Next soak the bread in cold water and squeeze dry. Crusts should be removed.
• 4. Add to the potatoes and garlic, pounding and stirring until smooth.
• 5. Gradually add olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar, stirring vigorously.
• 6. When smooth and light, add salt and pepper to taste.
• 7. Chill in a covered bowl before using.

SKORTHALIA (GREEK GARLIC SAUCE)

Steps:

• Peel and crush garlic.
• Place bread in a mixing bowl with garlic, oil, and vinegar.
• Let soften for one hour.
• Place mixture in a food processor and pulse til smooth.
• Add lemon juice and slowly add the water while the processor is running, so that you have a thick and fluffy sauce.
• Serve immediately.

SKORTHALIA - GREEK GARLIC POTATO SPREAD/DIP

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and chop them into large chunks. Boil them until they can be easily pierced.
• Meanwhile, prepare the garlic (10 cloves is a lot of peeling!) If you don't have a garlic press, mince the garlic.
• Drain the potatoes and mash them slightly in the pot. Transfer the potatoes to a food processor. Add the minced or pressed garlic and the salt. Whizz the potato mixture just to combine. Then add half the vinegar and half the olive oil. Process for a few seconds, then add the remaining oil and vinegar, along with the ground pepper. Puree one more time for good measure.
• You should have a fairly smooth mixture with a texture reminiscent of mashed potatoes. If necessary, add more olive oil and vinegar to moisten, but be cautious.
• Serve this dip warm or at room temperature with fresh pita bread.

ATHENA'S BAKALIAROS ME SKORTHALIA (FRIED COD WITH GARLIC SAUCE)

Steps:

• If using dry salt cod: Soak in water for 12 hours or overnight (in the refrigerator if the weather is warm), changing the water 4-6 times. Scrape off scales and remove visible bones, if any. If using frozen desalinated cod: Defrost and scrape off scales, if any. (Frozen steaks usually have no visible bones.)
• Make the Skorthalia ahead of time. Peel the potatoes and boil in salted water until well done (easily pierced with a fork). Sprinkle with pepper and mash.
• In the blender bowl of the food processor (or with a hand mixer), purée the potatoes and garlic until well mixed, about 30-45 seconds.
• Still puréeing, slowly add the olive oil and vinegar, alternating between them until the mixture is smooth. Skorthalia should be creamy and thick.
• If it gets too thick, add a little cold water (not more than 1/4 cup).
• When ready to cook, cut the fish into 1 1/2 to 2 inch slices.
• In a bowl, add the flour slowly to the water, stirring briskly with a wire whisk or fork until the flour has dissolved. The batter will be fairly thin.
• Dip the fish into the batter and fry in hot oil, about 6-10 minutes per side (depending on the thickness) until dark golden.
• Serve with one fourth of skorthalia garlic puree mixture per person.