Recipe Basic Tzatziki sauce

[buckytom]

Buckytom's basic tzatziki sauce

500 ml, or 1 pint Greek-style yogurt, drained if necessary (start with more than a pint if it needs to drain)
3 to 7 cloves of garlic to taste, the more the better imo
1 medium cucumber
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

1. Peel and seed cucumber. Cut into very thin strips, sprinkle with salt, let rest a few minutes, pressing gently between paper towels to dry, then dice. The more cucumber you use, the more you need to dry it or the sauce will become runny.

2. Mince garlic, combine with cucumber in a bowl.

3. Add evoo and red wine vinegar, stir to combine.

4. Add drained yougurt, stir well to combine, adding salt to taste.

5. This is the most important step: refrigerate overnight! The flavours need to combine.

 

[Morning Glory]

Fresh mint or dill can be added too. What I like about Tzatziki is that it is relatively low fat. I find a lot of dips and sauces far too high in oil for my taste. Mayo, taramasalata and numerous other dips all seem to involve a lot oil.

 

[buckytom]

I've tried mint before, as well as thyme and parsley, each individually. Haven't tried dill, but I can see that.

I've even tried it with fennel. You know, to make it more Italian...


Actually, no fennel, but it did work with a pinch of herbs de provence.

Still, I like mine plain and garlic-y.

 

[Morning Glory]

Its quite similar to Indian cucumber raita (which I am making today). Except that raita usually has spices added. I'll post it up when I've made it...

 

[Morning Glory]

I've even tried it with fennel. You know, to make it more Italian...

But its Greek...

 

[buckytom]

Yes, well, to me anyway.

 

[MypinchofItaly]

I've tried mint before, as well as thyme and parsley, each individually. Haven't tried dill, but I can see that.

I've even tried it with fennel. You know, to make it more Italian...


Actually, no fennel, but it did work with a pinch of herbs de provence.

Still, I like mine plain and garlic-y.

No fennel, no Italian

 

[Ken Natton]

Fresh mint or dill can be added too. What I like about Tzatziki is that it is relatively low fat. I find a lot of dips and sauces far too high in oil for my taste. Mayo, taramasalata and numerous other dips all seem to involve a lot oil.

I make a Tzatziki, and I put mint and dill in mine. The other thing I sometimes make with it is a chilli-less salsa. Good quality tinned tomatoes, red onion, red peppers, garlic and a good bunch of coriander leaf. Blitz in the blender. And whereas I put lemon juice in the Tzatziki, I tend to put lime juice in the salsa.

 

[Morning Glory]

I make a Tzatziki, and I put mint and dill in mine. The other thing I sometimes make with it is a chilli-less salsa. Good quality tinned tomatoes, red onion, red peppers, garlic and a good bunch of coriander leaf. Blitz in the blender. And whereas I put lemon juice in the Tzatziki, I tend to put lime juice in the salsa.

I do think mint and/or dill work really well in Tzatziki. And I like the sound of your salsa - although I'd probably add chillies to mine. I'm a chilli fiend, you see

 

[alexander]

Nice, @buckytom! I like cucumber although many people don't. I think its a great thing with yoghurt but I don't add oil to the one I do.

 

[Elawin]

My old Greek cookery book says to make it exactly the same Buckytom's recipe except for the amount of garlic - only one clove - although it obviously depends how pungent the garlic is. (The garlic I buy is so pungent, it's practically impossible to eat it raw!). The cookery book also does not make any mention of any herbs being added, but does have a note that in Macedonian Greece it is served as a soup.

 

[Ken Natton]

I do think mint and/or dill work really well in Tzatziki. And I like the sound of your salsa - although I'd probably add chillies to mine. I'm a chilli fiend, you see

I don't mind a little chilli - I certainly don't like it too hot - but there are other members of my family who wouldn't touch it if I put chilli in it, and the thing is, it is still actually very tasty without the chilli. I do sometimes do them just as a dip for nachos or whatever, but sometimes I do them to go with other dishes and as buckytom suggested I like to do them the night before. So I do a marinated chicken and a marinated strips of steak. I make the marinades and put the meat in them and make the tzatziki and salsa the night before, then on the day cook the meat and put the lemon juice in the tzatsiki and the lime juice in the salsa just about thirty minutes before serving. Serve it all with pittas and / or tortillas. I find the tzatziki goes well with the chicken and the salsa goes well with the beef.

 

[Morning Glory]

I don't mind a little chilli - I certainly don't like it too hot - but there are other members of my family who wouldn't touch it if I put chilli in it, and the thing is, it is still actually very tasty without the chilli. I do sometimes do them just as a dip for nachos or whatever, but sometimes I do them to go with other dishes and as buckytom suggested I like to do them the night before. So I do a marinated chicken and a marinated strips of steak. I make the marinades and put the meat in them and make the tzatziki and salsa the night before, then on the day cook the meat and put the lemon juice in the tzatsiki and the lime juice in the salsa just about thirty minutes before serving. Serve it all with pittas and / or tortillas. I find the tzatziki goes well with the chicken and the salsa goes well with the beef.

That sounds great!

 

[Francesca]

Buckytom's basic tzatziki sauce

500 ml, or 1 pint Greek-style yogurt, drained if necessary (start with more than a pint if it needs to drain)
3 to 7 cloves of garlic to taste, the more the better imo
1 medium cucumber
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

1. Peel and seed cucumber. Cut into very thin strips, sprinkle with salt, let rest a few minutes, pressing gently between paper towels to dry, then dice. The more cucumber you use, the more you need to dry it or the sauce will become runny.

2. Mince garlic, combine with cucumber in a bowl.

3. Add evoo and red wine vinegar, stir to combine.

4. Add drained yougurt, stir well to combine, adding salt to taste.

5. This is the most important step: refrigerate overnight! The flavours need to combine.

Good Morning Buckytom,

A fabulous Greek Mezze. Thank you for posting.

I use a fresh minced dill in mine and a tiny Pinch of very finely grated or minced lemon zest .. I also use an Organic Greek Evoo called: Rhizoma - Designation: Kranidi Argolidas PDO. In Peloponese ..
It is absolutely amazingly sublime ..

Have a lovely weekend ..