Tzatziki

Tzatziki photo from Wikipedia.

Tzatziki

A Yogurt based sauce, dip, side to many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes.

  • 1-1/2 C traditional plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 C grated English cucumber
  • 1 T Lemon juice
  • 1 T Lemon zest
  • 1 clove garlic pressed
  • 1/2 t kosher salt
  • 1/2 t white pepper
  • 2 T chopped fresh dill (or mint if you prefer)
  • 2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mise en place

  1. Wash veggies and herbs.



Combine in Bowl

  1. Grated English cucumbers after you have drained all possible moisture from the veggie. I squeezed by hand over the sink, then add the cucumbers into a cheesecloth and squeeze again. I let it sit out a bit on the cloth to keep drying while I combine the other ingredients.



  2. Measure and add the plain Greek Yogurt to the bowl.



  3. Add the salt, while, pepper, lemon juice + zest, and a pressed garlic clove. Mix well.

  4. Add the drained cucumber and mix well. I keep this in the fridge until an hour before I will use and then add the dill and mix.



  5. Right before serving I sprinkle good quality olive oil on top, add a sprig of dill and serve.

Tzatziki is a term for a dip, soup, or sauce found in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. It is made of chilled and strained yogurt (aka Greek Yogurt), mixed with grated cucumbers, smashed garlic, salt + pepper, olive oil, acid (lemon or vinegar), and herbs such as dill, mint, parsley and thyme.

Let the sauce sit for a while so the ingredients can merge. The raw garlic will mellow a bit during this time too as it mixes with acids. I tend to put the dill in at the last and drizzle good olive oil on top prior to serving.-