Tzadziki

A Greek yogurt-based dip made with cucumber and garlic

Hardware

• Colander
• Cheese cloth
• Fine shredder
• Mixing bowl
• Garlic press

Ingredients

1	kg		plain yogurt
300	g		cucumber, English or Persian
30	g		garlic; see notes
½	tsp		salt (table); see notes
¼	tsp		ground white pepper; see notes
45	ml		olive oil; see notes
45	ml		white vinegar; see notes

Procedure

1. At least 36 hours in advance, put the colander in the large mixing bowl, line with the cheese cloth, dump in the yogurt, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and allow to drain. You may need to empty the bowl once or twice.


2. Pour out the last of the whey, wipe out the bowl, dump the yogurt into the mixing bowl, and save the chese cloth!


3. Trim the ends of the cucumber; peel the cucumber, fully removing all green bits. Finely shred the cucumber using a hand grater or a food processor.


4. Using the cheese cloth, squeeze out (and discard) all the liquid from the cucumber. Repeat several times, resting for a minute or two between each pressing, until all the liquid has been removed. Scrape the cucumber off the cheese cloth and add it to the yogurt. Stir to combine.


5. Starting with one third of the garlic, squeeze it through a garlic press; do this directly into the mixing bowl to catch the essence (liquid). Scrape out the bits left in the press, finely mince them with a knife, and add to the mixture.


6. Add one third of the vinegar and one third of the oil to the bowl; add half the salt and half pepper; mix well.


7. Taste the tzadziki and add some or all of vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper; continue tasting and adjusting until it’s to your liking.

Notes

Anthony’s recipe calls for non-fat yogurt but I prefer whole milk.

In Greece this is often made with sheep’s milk yogurt but that can be hard to find in the USA. If you can find it I suggest using that instead of cow’s milk yogurt.

You can use Greek (style) yogurt but depending on how thick it is you may still want to drain it. The goal is to remove as much of the whey as possible. The final quantity of yogurt should be about 475 grams.

This is one time when using a garlic press is better than mincing by hand, as you want to use as much of the garlic essence as possible.

Don’t use a balloon whick; too much gunk will get caught in the wires.

Unless you’re serving this immediately after making it, remember that the garlic flavor will likely get stronger the longer the tzadziki is kept. Bear this in mind when tasting and adjusting the ingredients.

Rating

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 1½ - 2 days plus 1 hour.

Precision: 2

Yield: About 500 grams.

Source

Anthony Yeracaris